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Martin Del Campo JS, Rigsbee J, Bueno Batista M, Mus F, Rubio LM, Einsle O, Peters JW, Dixon R, Dean DR, Dos Santos PC. Overview of physiological, biochemical, and regulatory aspects of nitrogen fixation in Azotobacter vinelandii. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 57:492-538. [PMID: 36877487 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2023.2181309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how Nature accomplishes the reduction of inert nitrogen gas to form metabolically tractable ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure has challenged scientists for more than a century. Such an understanding is a key aspect toward accomplishing the transfer of the genetic determinants of biological nitrogen fixation to crop plants as well as for the development of improved synthetic catalysts based on the biological mechanism. Over the past 30 years, the free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii emerged as a preferred model organism for mechanistic, structural, genetic, and physiological studies aimed at understanding biological nitrogen fixation. This review provides a contemporary overview of these studies and places them within the context of their historical development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jack Rigsbee
- Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Florence Mus
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Luis M Rubio
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
| | - Oliver Einsle
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - John W Peters
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ray Dixon
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Dennis R Dean
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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2
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Chatterjee S, Hausinger RP. Sulfur incorporation into biomolecules: recent advances. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:461-476. [PMID: 36403141 PMCID: PMC10192010 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2022.2141678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur is an essential element for a variety of cellular constituents in all living organisms and adds considerable functionality to a wide range of biomolecules. The pathways for incorporating sulfur into central metabolites of the cell such as cysteine, methionine, cystathionine, and homocysteine have long been established. Furthermore, the importance of persulfide intermediates during the biosynthesis of thionucleotide-containing tRNAs, iron-sulfur clusters, thiamin diphosphate, and the molybdenum cofactor are well known. This review briefly surveys these topics while emphasizing more recent aspects of sulfur metabolism that involve unconventional biosynthetic pathways. Sacrificial sulfur transfers from protein cysteinyl side chains to precursors of thiamin and the nickel-pincer nucleotide (NPN) cofactor are described. Newer aspects of synthesis for lipoic acid, biotin, and other compounds are summarized, focusing on the requisite iron-sulfur cluster destruction. Sulfur transfers by using a noncore sulfide ligand bound to a [4Fe-4S] cluster are highlighted for generating certain thioamides and for alternative biosynthetic pathways of thionucleotides and the NPN cofactor. Thioamide formation by activating an amide oxygen atom via phosphorylation also is illustrated. The discussion of these topics stresses the chemical reaction mechanisms of the transformations and generally avoids comments on the gene/protein nomenclature or the sources of the enzymes. This work sets the stage for future efforts to decipher the diverse mechanisms of sulfur incorporation into biological molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shramana Chatterjee
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Robert P. Hausinger
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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3
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The Redox Active [2Fe-2S] Clusters: Key-Components of a Plethora of Enzymatic Reactions—Part I: Archaea. INORGANICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/inorganics10010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The earliest forms of life (i.e., Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya) appeared on our planet about ten billion years after its formation. Although Archaea do not seem to possess the multiprotein machinery constituted by the NIF (Nitrogen Fixation), ISC (Iron Sulfur Cluster), SUF (sulfur mobilization) enzymes, typical of Bacteria and Eukarya, some of them are able to encode Fe-S proteins. Here we discussed the multiple enzymatic reactions triggered by the up-to-date structurally characterized members of the archaeal family that require the crucial presence of structurally characterized [2Fe-2S] assemblies, focusing on their biological functions and, when available, on their electrochemical behavior.
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4
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Fujishiro T, Nakamura R, Kunichika K, Takahashi Y. Structural diversity of cysteine desulfurases involved in iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. Biophys Physicobiol 2022; 19:1-18. [PMID: 35377584 PMCID: PMC8918507 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v19.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cysteine desulfurases are pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes that mobilize sulfur derived from the l-cysteine substrate to the partner sulfur acceptor proteins. Three cysteine desulfurases, IscS, NifS, and SufS, have been identified in ISC, NIF, and SUF/SUF-like systems for iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biosynthesis, respectively. These cysteine desulfurases have been investigated over decades, providing insights into shared/distinct catalytic processes based on two types of enzymes (type I: IscS and NifS, type II: SufS). This review summarizes the insights into the structural/functional varieties of bacterial and eukaryotic cysteine desulfurases involved in Fe-S cluster biosynthetic systems. In addition, an inactive cysteine desulfurase IscS paralog, which contains pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate (PMP), instead of PLP, is also described to account for its hypothetical function in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis involving this paralog. The structural basis for cysteine desulfurase functions will be a stepping stone towards understanding the diversity and evolution of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Fujishiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Moecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Ryosuke Nakamura
- Department of Biochemistry and Moecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Kouhei Kunichika
- Department of Biochemistry and Moecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
| | - Yasuhiro Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Moecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University
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5
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Biosynthesis and Degradation of Sulfur Modifications in tRNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111937. [PMID: 34769366 PMCID: PMC8584467 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Various sulfur-containing biomolecules include iron–sulfur clusters that act as cofactors for enzymes, sulfur-containing vitamins such as thiamin, and sulfur-modified nucleosides in RNA, in addition to methionine and cysteine in proteins. Sulfur-containing nucleosides are post-transcriptionally introduced into tRNA molecules, where they ensure precise codon recognition or stabilization of tRNA structure, thereby maintaining cellular proteome integrity. Modulating sulfur modification controls the translation efficiency of specific groups of genes, allowing organisms to adapt to specific environments. The biosynthesis of tRNA sulfur nucleosides involves elaborate ‘sulfur trafficking systems’ within cellular sulfur metabolism and ‘modification enzymes’ that incorporate sulfur atoms into tRNA. This review provides an up-to-date overview of advances in our knowledge of the mechanisms involved. It covers the functions, biosynthesis, and biodegradation of sulfur-containing nucleosides as well as the reaction mechanisms of biosynthetic enzymes catalyzed by the iron–sulfur clusters, and identification of enzymes involved in the de-modification of sulfur atoms of RNA. The mechanistic similarity of these opposite reactions is discussed. Mutations in genes related to these pathways can cause human diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, and mitochondrial diseases), emphasizing the importance of these pathways.
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6
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Methods to Investigate the Kinetic Profile of Cysteine Desulfurases. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34292550 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1605-5_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Biological iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are essential protein prosthetic groups that promote a range of biochemical reactions. In vivo, these clusters are synthesized by specialized protein machineries involved in sulfur mobilization, cluster assembly, and cluster transfer to their target proteins. Cysteine desulfurases initiate the first step of sulfur activation and mobilization in cluster biosynthetic pathways. The reaction catalyzed by these enzymes involves the abstraction of sulfur from the amino acid L-cysteine, with concomitant formation of alanine. The presence and availability of a sulfur acceptor modulate the sulfurtransferase activity of this class of enzymes by altering their reaction profile and catalytic turnover rate. Herein, we describe two methods used to probe the reaction profile of cysteine desulfurases through quantification of alanine and sulfide production in these reactions.
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7
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Abstract
Iron-Sulfur (Fe-S) clusters function as core prosthetic groups known to modulate the activity of metalloenzymes, act as trafficking vehicles for biological iron and sulfur, and participate in several intersecting metabolic pathways. The formation of these clusters is initiated by a class of enzymes called cysteine desulfurases, whose primary function is to shuttle sulfur from the amino acid L-cysteine to a variety of sulfur transfer proteins involved in Fe-S cluster synthesis as well as in the synthesis of other thiocofactors. Thus, sulfur and Fe-S cluster metabolism are connected through shared enzyme intermediates, and defects in their associated pathways cause a myriad of pleiotropic phenotypes, which are difficult to dissect. Post-transcriptionally modified transfer RNA (tRNA) represents a large class of analytes whose synthesis often requires the coordinated participation of sulfur transfer and Fe-S enzymes. Therefore, these molecules can be used as biologically relevant readouts for cellular Fe and S status. Methods employing LC-MS technology provide a valuable experimental tool to determine the relative levels of tRNA modification in biological samples and, consequently, to assess genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors modulating reactions dependent on Fe-S clusters. Herein, we describe a robust method for extracting RNA and analytically evaluating the degree of Fe-S-dependent and -independent tRNA modifications via an LC-MS platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Edwards
- Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Maame A Addo
- Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
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8
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Eseverri Á, López‐Torrejón G, Jiang X, Burén S, Rubio LM, Caro E. Use of synthetic biology tools to optimize the production of active nitrogenase Fe protein in chloroplasts of tobacco leaf cells. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2020; 18:1882-1896. [PMID: 31985876 PMCID: PMC7415783 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The generation of nitrogen fixing crops is considered a challenge that could lead to a new agricultural 'green' revolution. Here, we report the use of synthetic biology tools to achieve and optimize the production of active nitrogenase Fe protein (NifH) in the chloroplasts of tobacco plants. Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogen fixation genes, nifH, M, U and S, were re-designed for protein accumulation in tobacco cells. Targeting to the chloroplast was optimized by screening and identifying minimal length transit peptides performing properly for each specific Nif protein. Putative peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NifM proved necessary for NifH solubility in the stroma. Purified NifU, a protein involved in the biogenesis of NifH [4Fe-4S] cluster, was found functional in NifH reconstitution assays. Importantly, NifH purified from tobacco chloroplasts was active in the reduction of acetylene to ethylene, with the requirement of nifU and nifS co-expression. These results support the suitability of chloroplasts to host functional nitrogenase proteins, paving the way for future studies in the engineering of nitrogen fixation in higher plant plastids and describing an optimization pipeline that could also be used in other organisms and in the engineering of new metabolic pathways in plastids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Eseverri
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
| | - Gema López‐Torrejón
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Ve ge talEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería AgronómicaAlimentaría y de BiosistemasUniversidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Xi Jiang
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
| | - Stefan Burén
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
| | - Luis M. Rubio
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Ve ge talEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería AgronómicaAlimentaría y de BiosistemasUniversidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Elena Caro
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and GenomicsInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)MadridSpain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Ve ge talEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería AgronómicaAlimentaría y de BiosistemasUniversidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
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9
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The Requirement of Inorganic Fe-S Clusters for the Biosynthesis of the Organometallic Molybdenum Cofactor. INORGANICS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/inorganics8070043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are essential protein cofactors. In enzymes, they are present either in the rhombic [2Fe-2S] or the cubic [4Fe-4S] form, where they are involved in catalysis and electron transfer and in the biosynthesis of metal-containing prosthetic groups like the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). Here, we give an overview of the assembly of Fe-S clusters in bacteria and humans and present their connection to the Moco biosynthesis pathway. In all organisms, Fe-S cluster assembly starts with the abstraction of sulfur from l-cysteine and its transfer to a scaffold protein. After formation, Fe-S clusters are transferred to carrier proteins that insert them into recipient apo-proteins. In eukaryotes like humans and plants, Fe-S cluster assembly takes place both in mitochondria and in the cytosol. Both Moco biosynthesis and Fe-S cluster assembly are highly conserved among all kingdoms of life. Moco is a tricyclic pterin compound with molybdenum coordinated through its unique dithiolene group. Moco biosynthesis begins in the mitochondria in a Fe-S cluster dependent step involving radical/S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) chemistry. An intermediate is transferred to the cytosol where the dithiolene group is formed, to which molybdenum is finally added. Further connections between Fe-S cluster assembly and Moco biosynthesis are discussed in detail.
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10
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Silva RMB, Grodick MA, Barton JK. UvrC Coordinates an O 2-Sensitive [4Fe4S] Cofactor. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:10964-10977. [PMID: 32470300 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c01671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances have led to numerous landmark discoveries of [4Fe4S] clusters coordinated by essential enzymes in repair, replication, and transcription across all domains of life. The cofactor has notably been challenging to observe for many nucleic acid processing enzymes due to several factors, including a weak bioinformatic signature of the coordinating cysteines and lability of the metal cofactor. To overcome these challenges, we have used sequence alignments, an anaerobic purification method, iron quantification, and UV-visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies to investigate UvrC, the dual-incision endonuclease in the bacterial nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. The characteristics of UvrC are consistent with [4Fe4S] coordination with 60-70% cofactor incorporation, and additionally, we show that, bound to UvrC, the [4Fe4S] cofactor is susceptible to oxidative degradation with aggregation of apo species. Importantly, in its holo form with the cofactor bound, UvrC forms high affinity complexes with duplexed DNA substrates; the apparent dissociation constants to well-matched and damaged duplex substrates are 100 ± 20 nM and 80 ± 30 nM, respectively. This high affinity DNA binding contrasts reports made for isolated protein lacking the cofactor. Moreover, using DNA electrochemistry, we find that the cluster coordinated by UvrC is redox-active and participates in DNA-mediated charge transport chemistry with a DNA-bound midpoint potential of 90 mV vs NHE. This work highlights that the [4Fe4S] center is critical to UvrC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah M B Silva
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Michael A Grodick
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Jacqueline K Barton
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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11
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Addo MA, Dos Santos PC. Distribution of Nitrogen‐Fixation Genes in Prokaryotes Containing Alternative Nitrogenases. Chembiochem 2020; 21:1749-1759. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maame A. Addo
- Department of Chemistry Wake Forest University Winston-Salem NC 27106 USA
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12
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Shigi N, Horitani M, Miyauchi K, Suzuki T, Kuroki M. An ancient type of MnmA protein is an iron-sulfur cluster-dependent sulfurtransferase for tRNA anticodons. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:240-250. [PMID: 31801798 PMCID: PMC7025502 DOI: 10.1261/rna.072066.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is an adaptor molecule indispensable for assigning amino acids to codons on mRNA during protein synthesis. 2-thiouridine (s2U) derivatives in the anticodons (position 34) of tRNAs for glutamate, glutamine, and lysine are post-transcriptional modifications essential for precise and efficient codon recognition in all organisms. s2U34 is introduced either by (i) bacterial MnmA/eukaryote mitochondrial Mtu1 or (ii) eukaryote cytosolic Ncs6/archaeal NcsA, and the latter enzymes possess iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster. Here, we report the identification of novel-type MnmA homologs containing three conserved Cys residues, which could support Fe-S cluster binding and catalysis, in a broad range of bacteria, including thermophiles, Cyanobacteria, Mycobacteria, Actinomyces, Clostridium, and Helicobacter Using EPR spectroscopy, we revealed that Thermus thermophilus MnmA (TtMnmA) contains an oxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S]-type cluster. Efficient in vitro formation of s2U34 in tRNALys and tRNAGln by holo-TtMnmA occurred only under anaerobic conditions. Mutational analysis of TtMnmA suggested that the Fe-S cluster is coordinated by the three conserved Cys residues (Cys105, Cys108, and Cys200), and is essential for its activity. Evolutionary scenarios for the sulfurtransferases, including the Fe-S cluster containing Ncs6/NcsA s2U thiouridylases and several distantly related sulfurtransferases, are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Shigi
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Masaki Horitani
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Kenjyo Miyauchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Misao Kuroki
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
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13
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Dunkle JA, Bruno MR, Frantom PA. Structural evidence for a latch mechanism regulating access to the active site of SufS-family cysteine desulfurases. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2020; 76:291-301. [PMID: 32133993 PMCID: PMC7057215 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798320000790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cysteine serves as the sulfur source for the biosynthesis of Fe-S clusters and thio-cofactors, molecules that are required for core metabolic processes in all organisms. Therefore, cysteine desulfurases, which mobilize sulfur for its incorporation into thio-cofactors by cleaving the Cα-S bond of cysteine, are ubiquitous in nature. SufS, a type 2 cysteine desulfurase that is present in plants and microorganisms, mobilizes sulfur from cysteine to the transpersulfurase SufE to initiate Fe-S biosynthesis. Here, a 1.5 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of the Escherichia coli SufS homodimer is reported which adopts a state in which the two monomers are rotated relative to their resting state, displacing a β-hairpin from its typical position blocking transpersulfurase access to the SufS active site. A global structure and sequence analysis of SufS family members indicates that the active-site β-hairpin is likely to require adjacent structural elements to function as a β-latch regulating access to the SufS active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A. Dunkle
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alabama, 250 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
| | - Michael R. Bruno
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alabama, 250 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
| | - Patrick A. Frantom
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alabama, 250 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
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14
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Lu HM, Li JD, Zhang YD, Lu XL, Xu C, Huang Y, Gribskov M. The Evolution History of Fe-S Cluster A-Type Assembly Protein Reveals Multiple Gene Duplication Events and Essential Protein Motifs. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:160-173. [PMID: 32108236 PMCID: PMC7144353 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters play important roles in electron transfer, metabolic and biosynthetic reactions, and the regulation of gene expression. Understanding the biogenesis of Fe-S clusters is therefore relevant to many fields. In the complex process of Fe-S protein formation, the A-type assembly protein (ATAP) family, which consists of several subfamilies, plays an essential role in Fe-S cluster formation and transfer and is highly conserved across the tree of life. However, the taxonomic distribution, motif compositions, and the evolutionary history of the ATAP subfamilies are not well understood. To address these problems, our study investigated the taxonomic distribution of 321 species from a broad cross-section of taxa. Then, we identified common and specific motifs in multiple ATAP subfamilies to explain the functional conservation and nonredundancy of the ATAPs, and a novel, essential motif was found in Eumetazoa IscA1, which has a newly found magnetic function. Finally, we used phylogenetic analytical methods to reconstruct the evolution history of this family. Our results show that two types of ErpA proteins (nonproteobacteria-type ErpA1 and proteobacteria-type ErpA2) exist in bacteria. The ATAP family, consisting of seven subfamilies, can be further classified into two types of ATAPs. Type-I ATAPs include IscA, SufA, HesB, ErpA1, and IscA1, with an ErpA1-like gene as their last common ancestor, whereas type-II ATAPs consist of ErpA2 and IscA2, duplicated from an ErpA2-like gene. During the mitochondrial endosymbiosis, IscA became IscA1 in eukaryotes and ErpA2 became IscA2 in eukaryotes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Meng Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Jing-Di Li
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yu-Dan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Xiao-Li Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Chang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yuan Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Michael Gribskov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
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15
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Nakamura R, Hikita M, Ogawa S, Takahashi Y, Fujishiro T. Snapshots of PLP‐substrate and PLP‐product external aldimines as intermediates in two types of cysteine desulfurase enzymes. FEBS J 2019; 287:1138-1154. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Nakamura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate School of Science and Engineering Saitama University Saitama Japan
| | - Masahide Hikita
- Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory Institute of Materials Structure Science High Energy Accelerator Research Organization Tsukuba Japan
| | - Shoko Ogawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate School of Science and Engineering Saitama University Saitama Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate School of Science and Engineering Saitama University Saitama Japan
| | - Takashi Fujishiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate School of Science and Engineering Saitama University Saitama Japan
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16
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Zheng C, Guo S, Tennant WG, Pradhan PK, Black KA, Dos Santos PC. The Thioredoxin System Reduces Protein Persulfide Intermediates Formed during the Synthesis of Thio-Cofactors in Bacillus subtilis. Biochemistry 2019; 58:1892-1904. [PMID: 30855939 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of Fe-S clusters and other thio-cofactors requires the participation of redox agents. A shared feature in these pathways is the formation of transient protein persulfides, which are susceptible to reduction by artificial reducing agents commonly used in reactions in vitro. These agents modulate the reactivity and catalytic efficiency of biosynthetic reactions and, in some cases, skew the enzymes' kinetic behavior, bypassing sulfur acceptors known to be critical for the functionality of these pathways in vivo. Here, we provide kinetic evidence for the selective reactivity of the Bacillus subtilis Trx (thioredoxin) system toward protein-bound persulfide intermediates. Our results demonstrate that the redox flux of the Trx system modulates the rate of sulfide production in cysteine desulfurase assays. Likewise, the activity of the Trx system is dependent on the rate of persulfide formation, suggesting the occurrence of coupled reaction schemes between both enzymatic systems in vitro. Inactivation of TrxA (thioredoxin) or TrxR (thioredoxin reductase) impairs the activity of Fe-S enzymes in B. subtilis, indicating the involvement of the Trx system in Fe-S cluster metabolism. Surprisingly, biochemical characterization of TrxA reveals that this enzyme is able to coordinate Fe-S species, resulting in the loss of its reductase activity. The inactivation of TrxA through the coordination of a labile cluster, combined with its proposed role as a physiological reducing agent in sulfur transfer pathways, suggests a model for redox regulation. These findings provide a potential link between redox regulation and Fe-S metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenkang Zheng
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States
| | - Selina Guo
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States
| | - William G Tennant
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States
| | - Pradyumna K Pradhan
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , Greensboro , North Carolina 27412 , United States
| | - Katherine A Black
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States.,Department of Medicine , Weill Cornell Medicine , New York , New York 10065 , United States
| | - Patricia C Dos Santos
- Department of Chemistry , Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem , North Carolina 27106 , United States
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