Enzymatic systems with homology to nitrogenase

The Chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a Testbed for Engineering Nitrogen Fixation into Plants

Eukaryotic organisms such as plants are unable to utilise nitrogen gas (N2) directly as a source of this essential element and are dependent either on its biological conversion to ammonium by diazotrophic prokaryotes, or its supply as chemically synthesised nitrate fertiliser. The idea of genetically engineering crops with the capacity to fix N2 by introduction of the bacterial nitrogenase enzyme has long been discussed. However, the expression of an active nitrogenase must overcome several major challenges: the coordinated expression of multiple genes to assemble an enzyme complex containing several different metal cluster co-factors; the supply of sufficient ATP and reductant to the enzyme; the enzyme's sensitivity to oxygen; and the intracellular accumulation of ammonium. The chloroplast of plant cells represents an attractive location for nitrogenase expression, but engineering the organelle's genome is not yet feasible in most crop species. However, the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii represents a simple model for photosynthetic eukaryotes with a genetically tractable chloroplast. In this review, we discuss the main advantages, and limitations, of this microalga as a testbed for producing such a complex multi-subunit enzyme. Furthermore, we suggest that a minimal set of six transgenes are necessary for chloroplast-localised synthesis of an 'Fe-only' nitrogenase, and from this set we demonstrate the stable expression and accumulation of the homocitrate synthase, NifV, under aerobic conditions. Arguably, further studies in C. reinhardtii aimed at testing expression and function of the full gene set would provide the groundwork for a concerted future effort to create nitrogen-fixing crops.

Divergent Members of the Nitrogenase Superfamily: Tetrapyrrole Biosynthesis and Beyond

The nitrogenase superfamily constitutes a large and diverse ensemble of two-component metalloenzymes. These systems couple the hydrolysis of ATP to the reduction of disparate substrates from diatomic gases (Mo and alternative nitrogenases) to photosynthetic pigments (protochlorophyllide and chlorophyllide oxidoreductases). Only very recently have the activities of the highly divergent and paraphyletic Group IV nitrogenases begun to be uncovered. This review highlights the first characterized member of this group, which was found to catalyze an unprecedented reaction in the coenzyme F430 biosynthetic pathway, and the catalytic potential of a superfamily that has yet to be fully explored.

Enzymatic Systems with Homology to Nitrogenase: Biosynthesis of Bacteriochlorophyll and Coenzyme F430

Enzymes with homology to nitrogenase are essential for the reduction of chemically stable double bonds within the biosynthetic pathways of bacteriochlorophyll and coenzyme F₄₃₀. These tetrapyrrole-based compounds are crucial for bacterial photosynthesis and the biogenesis of methane in methanogenic archaea. Formation of bacteriochlorophyll requires the unique ATP-dependent enzyme chlorophyllide oxidoreductase (COR) for the two-electron reduction of chlorophyllide to bacteriochlorophyllide. COR catalysis is based on the homodimeric protein subunit BchX₂, which facilitates the transfer of electrons to the corresponding heterotetrameric catalytic subunit (BchY/BchZ)₂. By analogy to the nitrogenase system, the dynamic switch protein BchX₂ contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster that triggers the ATP-driven transfer of electrons onto a second [4Fe-4S] cluster located in (BchY/BchZ)₂. The subsequent substrate reduction and protonation is unrelated to nitrogenase catalysis, with no further involvement of a molybdenum-containing cofactor. The biosynthesis of the nickel-containing coenzyme F₄₃₀ includes the six-electron reduction of the tetrapyrrole macrocycle of Ni²⁺-sirohydrochlorin a,c-diamide to Ni²⁺-hexahydrosirohydrochlorin a,c-diamide catalyzed by CfbC/D. The homodimeric CfbC₂ subunit carrying a [4Fe-4S] cluster shows close homology to BchX₂. Accordingly, parallelism for the initial ATP-driven electron transfer steps of CfbC/D was proposed. Electrons are received by the dimeric catalytic subunit CfbD₂, which contains a second [4Fe-4S] cluster and carries out the saturation of an overall of three double bonds in a highly orchestrated spatial and regioselective process. Following a short introduction to nitrogenase catalysis, this chapter will focus on the recent progress toward the understanding of the nitrogenase-like enzymes COR and CfbC/D, with special emphasis on the underlying enzymatic mechanism(s).

Powered by light: Phototrophy and photosynthesis in prokaryotes and its evolution

Photosynthesis is a complex metabolic process enabling photosynthetic organisms to use solar energy for the reduction of carbon dioxide into biomass. This ancient pathway has revolutionized life on Earth. The most important event was the development of oxygenic photosynthesis. It had a tremendous impact on the Earth's geochemistry and the evolution of living beings, as the rise of atmospheric molecular oxygen enabled the development of a highly efficient aerobic metabolism, which later led to the evolution of complex multicellular organisms. The mechanism of photosynthesis has been the subject of intensive research and a great body of data has been accumulated. However, the evolution of this process is not fully understood, and the development of photosynthesis in prokaryota in particular remains an unresolved question. This review is devoted to the occurrence and main features of phototrophy and photosynthesis in prokaryotes. Hypotheses concerning the origin and spread of photosynthetic traits in bacteria are also discussed.

Nitrogenase and homologs

Nitrogenase catalyzes biological nitrogen fixation, a key step in the global nitrogen cycle. Three homologous nitrogenases have been identified to date, along with several structural and/or functional homologs of this enzyme that are involved in nitrogenase assembly, bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis and methanogenic process, respectively. In this article, we provide an overview of the structures and functions of nitrogenase and its homologs, which highlights the similarity and disparity of this uniquely versatile group of enzymes.

Nicotinamide is a specific inhibitor of dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase, a nitrogenase-like enzyme, from Rhodobacter capsulatus

Dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR) is a nitrogenase-like enzyme consisting of two components, L-protein as a reductase component and NB-protein as a catalytic component. Elucidation of the crystal structures of NB-protein (Muraki et al., Nature 2010, 465: 110-114) has enabled us to study its reaction mechanism in combination with biochemical analysis. Here we demonstrate that nicotinamide (NA) inhibits DPOR activity by blocking the electron transfer from L-protein to NB-protein. A reaction scheme of DPOR, in which the binding of protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) to the NB-protein precedes the electron transfer from the L-protein, is proposed based on the NA effects.