Direct electrochemistry of the flavin domain of assimilatory nitrate reductase: effects of NAD+ and NAD+ analogs

NAD(P)-dependent glucose dehydrogenase: Applications for biosensors, bioelectrodes, and biofuel cells

This review discusses the physical and chemical properties of nicotinamide redox cofactor dependent glucose dehydrogenase (NAD(P) dependent GDH) and its extensive application in biosensors and bio-fuel cells. GDHs from different organisms show diverse biochemical properties (e.g., activity and stability) and preferences towards cofactors, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP⁺). The (NAD(P)⁺) play important roles in biological electron transfer, however, there are some difficulties related to their application in devices that originate from their chemical properties and labile binding to the GDH enzyme. This review discusses the electrode modifications aimed at immobilising NAD⁺ or NADP⁺ cofactors and GDH at electrodes. Binding of the enzyme was achieved by appropriate protein engineering techniques, including polymerisation, hydrophobisation or hydrophilisation processes. Various enzyme-modified electrodes applied in biosensors, enzymatic fuel cells, and biobatteries are compared. Importantly, GDH can operate alone or as part of an enzymatic cascade, which often improves the functional parameters of the biofuel cell or simply allows use of cheaper fuels. Overall, this review explores how NAD(P)-dependent GDH has recently demonstrated high potential for use in various systems to generate electricity from biological sources for applications in implantable biomedical devices, wireless sensors, and portable electronic devices.

Flavin Derivatives with Tailored Redox Properties: Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Behavior

This study establishes structure-property relationships for four synthetic flavin molecules as bioinspired redox mediators in electro- and photocatalysis applications. The studied flavin compounds were disubstituted with polar substituents at the N1 and N3 positions (alloxazine) or at the N3 and N10 positions (isoalloxazines). The electrochemical behavior of one such synthetic flavin analogue was examined in detail in aqueous solutions of varying pH in the range from 1 to 10. Cyclic voltammetry, used in conjunction with hydrodynamic (rotating disk electrode) voltammetry, showed quasi-reversible behavior consistent with freely diffusing molecules and an overall global 2e(-) , 2H(+) proton-coupled electron transfer scheme. UV/Vis spectroelectrochemical data was also employed to study the pH-dependent electrochemical behavior of this derivative. Substituent effects on the redox behavior were compared and contrasted for all the four compounds, and visualized within a scatter plot framework to afford comparison with prior knowledge on mostly natural flavins in aqueous media. Finally, a preliminary assessment of one of the synthetic flavins was performed of its electrocatalytic activity toward dioxygen reduction as a prelude to further (quantitative) studies of both freely diffusing and tethered molecules on various electrode surfaces.

Pre-steady-state kinetic analysis of recombinant Arabidopsis NADH:nitrate reductase: rate-limiting processes in catalysis

Recombinant Arabidopsis NADH:nitrate reductase was expressed in Pichia pastoris using fermentation. Large enzyme quantities were purified for pre-steady-state kinetic analysis, which had not been done before with any eukaryotic nitrate reductase. Basic biochemical properties of recombinant nitrate reductase were similar to natural enzyme forms. Molybdenum content was lower than expected, which was compensated for by activity calculation on molybdenum basis. Stopped-flow rapid-scan spectrophotometry showed that the enzyme FAD and heme were rapidly reduced by NADH with and without nitrate present. NADPH reduced FAD at less than one-tenth of NADH rate. Reaction of NADH-reduced enzyme with nitrate yielded rapid initial oxidation of heme with slower oxidation of flavin. Rapid-reaction freeze-quench EPR spectra revealed molybdenum was maintained in a partially reduced state during turnover. Rapid-reaction chemical quench for quantifying nitrite production showed that the rate of nitrate reduction was initially greater than the steady-state rate, but rapidly decreased to near steady-state turnover rate. However, rates of internal electron transfer and nitrate reduction were similar in magnitude with no one step in the catalytic process appearing to be much slower than the others. This leads to the conclusion that the catalytic rate is determined by a combination of rates with no overall rate-limiting individual process.

Recombinant expression of molybdenum reductase fragments of plant nitrate reductase at high levels in Pichia pastoris

Mo reductase (MoR; formerly cytochrome c reductase) fragments of NADH:NO(3) reductase (NR; EC1.6.6.1) were cytosolically expressed in Pichia pastoris, a methylotrophic yeast, using spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and corn (Zea maize) cDNAs. In fermenter cultures, spinach MoR was expressed at 420 mg L(-1), corn MoR at 32 mg L(-1), and corn MoR plus with putative NR interface domain N terminus (MoR+) at 17 mg L(-1). Constitutively expressed MoR+ was structurally stable while it was degraded when expressed by methanol induction, which suggests methanol growth produces more proteinase. Methanol-induced expression yielded more target protein. All three MoR were purified to homogeneity and their polypeptides were approximately 41 (MoR) and approximately 66 (MoR+) kD. MoR was monomeric and MoR+ dimeric, confirming the predicted role for dimer interface domain of NR. MoR+, although differing in quaternary structure from MoR, has similar kinetic properties for ferricyanide and cytochrome c reductase activities and visible spectra, which were like NR. Redox potentials of MoR and MoR+ were similar for flavin, whereas MoR+ had a more negative potential for heme-iron. Reaction schemes for MoR catalyzed reactions were proposed based on fast-reaction rapid-scan stopped-flow kinetic analysis of MoR. P. pastoris is an excellent system for producing the large amounts of NR fragments needed for detailed biochemical studies.

NITRATE REDUCTASE STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND REGULATION: Bridging the Gap between Biochemistry and Physiology

Nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1-3) catalyzes NAD(P)H reduction of nitrate to nitrite. NR serves plants, algae, and fungi as a central point for integration of metabolism by governing flux of reduced nitrogen by several regulatory mechanisms. The NR monomer is composed of a ~100-kD polypeptide and one each of FAD, heme-iron, and molybdenum-molybdopterin (Mo-MPT). NR has eight sequence segments: (a) N-terminal "acidic" region; (b) Mo-MPT domain with nitrate-reducing active site; (c) interface domain; (d) Hinge 1 containing serine phosphorylated in reversible activity regulation with inhibition by 14-3-3 binding protein; (e) cytochrome b domain; (f) Hinge 2; (g) FAD domain; and (h) NAD(P)H domain. The cytochrome b reductase fragment contains the active site where NAD(P)H transfers electrons to FAD. A complete three-dimensional dimeric NR structure model was built from structures of sulfite oxidase and cytochrome b reductase. Key active site residues have been investigated. NR structure, function, and regulation are now becoming understood.