Crystal structure of the first dissimilatory nitrate reductase at 1.9 A solved by MAD methods

Biochemical and spectroscopic characterization of the membrane-bound nitrate reductase from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus 617

Membrane-bound nitrate reductase from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus 617 can be solubilized in either of two ways that will ultimately determine the presence or absence of the small (Iota) subunit. The enzyme complex (NarGHI) is composed of three subunits with molecular masses of 130, 65, and 20 kDa. This enzyme contains approximately 14 Fe, 0.8 Mo, and 1.3 molybdopterin guanine dinucleotides per enzyme molecule. Curiously, one heme b and 0.4 heme c per enzyme molecule have been detected. These hemes were potentiometrically characterized by optical spectroscopy at pH 7.6 and two noninteracting species were identified with respective midpoint potentials at Em=+197 mV (heme c) and -4.5 mV (heme b). Variable-temperature (4-120 K) X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies performed on both as-isolated and dithionite-reduced nitrate reductase showed, respectively, an EPR signal characteristic of a [3Fe-4S]+ cluster and overlapping signals associated with at least three types of [4Fe-4S]+ centers. EPR of the as-isolated enzyme shows two distinct pH-dependent Mo(V) signals with hyperfine coupling to a solvent-exchangeable proton. These signals, called "low-pH" and "high-pH," changed to a pH-independent Mo(V) signal upon nitrate or nitrite addition. Nitrate addition to dithionite-reduced samples at pH 6 and 7.6 yields some of the EPR signals described above and a new rhombic signal that has no hyperfine structure. The relationship between the distinct EPR-active Mo(V) species and their plausible structures is discussed on the basis of the structural information available to date for closely related membrane-bound nitrate reductases.

Molybdoproteomes and evolution of molybdenum utilization

The trace element molybdenum (Mo) is utilized in many life forms, and it is a key component of several enzymes involved in nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon metabolism. With the exception of nitrogenase, Mo is bound in proteins to a pterin, thus forming the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) at the catalytic sites of molybdoenzymes. Although a number of molybdoenzymes are well characterized structurally and functionally, evolutionary analyses of Mo utilization are limited. Here, we carried out comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses to examine the occurrence and evolution of Mo utilization in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes at the level of (i) Mo transport and Moco utilization trait, and (ii) Mo-dependent enzymes. Our results revealed that most prokaryotes and all higher eukaryotes utilize Mo whereas many unicellular eukaryotes including parasites and most yeasts lost the ability to use this metal. In addition, eukaryotes have fewer molybdoenzyme families than prokaryotes. Dimethylsulfoxide reductase (DMSOR) and sulfite oxidase (SO) families were the most widespread molybdoenzymes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, respectively. A distant group of the ModABC transport system, was predicted in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum. ModE-type regulation of Mo uptake occurred in less than 30% of Moco-utilizing organisms. A link between Mo and selenocysteine utilization in prokaryotes was also identified wherein the selenocysteine trait was largely a subset of the Mo trait, presumably due to formate dehydrogenase, a Mo- and selenium-containing protein. Finally, analysis of environmental conditions and organisms that do or do not depend on Mo revealed that host-associated organisms and organisms with low G+C content tend to reduce their Mo utilization. Overall, our data provide new insights into Mo utilization and show its wide occurrence, yet limited use of this metal in individual organisms in all three domains of life.

Spectroscopic and electronic structure studies of symmetrized models for reduced members of the dimethylsulfoxide reductase enzyme family

Enzymes belonging to the dimethylsulfoxide reductase (DMSOR) family of pyranopterin Mo enzymes have a unique active-site geometry in the reduced form that lacks a terminal oxo ligand, unlike the reduced active sites of other pyranopterin Mo enzymes. Furthermore, the DMSOR family is characterized by the coordination of two pyranopterin-ene-1,2-dithiolate ligands in their active sites, which is distinctive among the other pyranopterin Mo enzymes but analogous to all of the currently known tungsten-containing enzymes. Electronic absorption, resonance Raman, and ground- and excited-state density functional calculations of symmetrized analogues of the reduced DMSOR active site ([NEt4][Mo(IV)(QAd)(S2C2Me2)2] where Ad = 2-adamantyl; Q = O, S, Se) have allowed for a detailed description of Mo-bisdithiolene electronic structure in the absence of a strong-field oxo ligand. The electronic absorption spectra are dominated by dithiolene S --> Mo charge-transfer transitions, and the totally symmetric Mo-S Raman stretch is observed at approximately 400 cm(-1) for all three complexes. These data indicate that the Mo-bisdithiolene bonding scheme in high-symmetry [Mo(QAd)(S2C2Me2)2]- complexes is not strongly perturbed by the apical QAd- ligands, but instead, the dithiolene ligands define the t(2g) ligand field splitting. The effects of conserved geometric distortions observed in DMSOR, relative to these high-symmetry models, were explored by spectroscopically calibrated bonding calculations, and the results are discussed within the context of electronic structure contributions to ground-state destabilization and transition-state stabilization. The specific electronic structure tuning of the endogenous amino acid ligation on the mechanism of DMSOR is also discussed.

Periplasmic nitrate reductase revisited: a sulfur atom completes the sixth coordination of the catalytic molybdenum

Nitrate reductase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 (DdNapA) is a monomeric protein of 80 kDa harboring a bis(molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide) active site and a [4Fe-4S] cluster. Previous electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies in both catalytic and inhibiting conditions showed that the molybdenum center has high coordination flexibility when reacted with reducing agents, substrates or inhibitors. As-prepared DdNapA samples, as well as those reacted with substrates and inhibitors, were crystallized and the corresponding structures were solved at resolutions ranging from 1.99 to 2.45 A. The good quality of the diffraction data allowed us to perform a detailed structural study of the active site and, on that basis, the sixth molybdenum ligand, originally proposed to be an OH/OH(2) ligand, was assigned as a sulfur atom after refinement and analysis of the B factors of all the structures. This unexpected result was confirmed by a single-wavelength anomalous diffraction experiment below the iron edge (lambda = 1.77 A) of the as-purified enzyme. Furthermore, for six of the seven datasets, the S-S distance between the sulfur ligand and the Sgamma atom of the molybdenum ligand Cys(A140) was substantially shorter than the van der Waals contact distance and varies between 2.2 and 2.85 A, indicating a partial disulfide bond. Preliminary EPR studies under catalytic conditions showed an EPR signal designated as a turnover signal (g values 1.999, 1.990, 1.982) showing hyperfine structure originating from a nucleus of unknown nature. Spectropotentiometric studies show that reduced methyl viologen, the electron donor used in the catalytic reaction, does not interact directly with the redox cofactors. The turnover signal can be obtained only in the presence of the reaction substrates. With use of the optimized conditions determined by spectropotentiometric titration, the turnover signal was developed with (15)N-labeled nitrate and in D(2)O-exchanged DdNapA samples. These studies indicate that this signal is not associated with a Mo(V)-nitrate adduct and that the hyperfine structure originates from two equivalent solvent-exchangeable protons. The new coordination sphere of molybdenum proposed on the basis of our studies led us to revise the currently accepted reaction mechanism for periplasmic nitrate reductases. Proposals for a new mechanism are discussed taking into account a molybdenum and ligand-based redox chemistry, rather than the currently accepted redox chemistry based solely on the molybdenum atom.

Nitrate reductases: structure, functions, and effect of stress factors

Structural and functional peculiarities of four types of nitrate reductases are considered: assimilatory nitrate reductase of eukaryotes, as well as cytoplasmic assimilatory, membrane-bound respiratory, and periplasmic dissimilatory bacterial nitrate reductases. Arguments are presented showing that eukaryotic organisms are capable of nitrate dissimilation. Data concerning new classes of extremophil nitrate reductases, whose active center does not contain molybdocofactor, are summarized.

PAK: an essential motif for forming β-turn structures and exhibiting the thrombolytic effect of P6A and its analogs

Ala-Arg-Pro-Ala-Lys (ARPAK; also known as P6A) and 19 of its analogs were synthesized, and their thrombolytic activities were assessed in vitro and in vivo. The solution structures of 12 of the P6A analogs were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The thrombolytic activity and conformational structure relationship was analyzed. We found that the Pro-Ala-Lys (PAK) sequence was essential for thrombolytic activity and was also responsible for the β-turn structure found in the P6A analogs studied. The well defined β turn may act as a binding head with the protruding lysine side-chain (positively charged) found at the target site for target recognition. Additionally, the N-terminal residue may be critical for thrombolytic activity, which for PAK-containing peptides, is likely achieved via a plasminogen-dependent pathway.

Structure of the Michaelis Complex and Function of the Catalytic Center in the Reductive Half-Reaction of Computational and Synthetic Models of Sulfite Oxidase

By using frontier-molecular-orbital and electrostatic (nucleophilic) interactions as well as relaxed potential-energy surface scans, it is shown that the initial step in the oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) reaction of [Mo(VI)O2-(S2C2Me2)SMe](-1) (1) and [Mo(VI)O2-{(S2C2(CN)2}2]2- (2) with HSO3(-) takes place by oxoanionic binding of the substrate to the Mo(VI) center with the formation of a stable Michaelis complex. The gas-phase and solvent-corrected enthalpy profile with fully optimized minima and transition states for the OAT reaction of 1 and 2 with HSO3(-) showed the release of reaction energy for both complexes. The optimized geometries of 1 and 2 in the respective enzyme-substrate complexes showed a common feature with the participation of hydrogen bonding of the substrate with the axial (spectator) oxo group in the subsequent formation of the six-membered MoO2HOS transition state. The enzyme-substrate complex of 2 shows heptacoordination as proposed earlier, although the trans (to axial oxo)-Mo-S(dithiolene) bond is elongated to 2.948 A.

Density functional theory studies of model complexes for molybdenum-dependent nitrate reductase active sites

Molybdenum and tungsten complexes as models for the active sites of assimilatory or dissimilatory nitrate reductases (NR) were computed at the CPCM-B98/SDDp//B3LYP/Lanl2DZp* plus zero point energy level of density functional theory. The ligands were chosen on the basis of available experimental protein or small chemical model structures. A water molecule is found to bind to assimilatory NR models [(Me(2)C(2)S(2))MO(YMe)](-) (-11.5 kcal mol(-1) for M is Mo, Y is S) and may be replaced by nitrate (-4.5 kcal mol(-1)) (but a hydroxy group may not). Nature's choice of M is Mo and Y is S for NR has the largest activation energy for protein-free models (13.3 kcal mol(-1)) and the least exothermic reaction energy for the nitrate reduction (-14.9 kcal mol(-1)) compared with M is W and Y is O or Se alternatives. Water binding to dissimilatory NR model complexes [(Me(2)C(2)S(2))(2)M(YR)](-) is considerably endothermic (10.3 kcal mol(-1)); nitrate binding is only slightly so (1.5 kcal mol(-1) for RY(-) is MeS(-)). The exchange of an oxo ligand (assimilatory NR) for a dithiolato ligand (dissimilatory NR model) reduces the exothermicity (-8.6 kcal mol(-1) relative to the fivefold-coordinate reduced complex) and raises the barrier for oxygen atom transfer (OAT) in the nitrate complex (19.2 kcal mol(-1)). Not for the mono but only for the bisdithiolato complexes hydrogen bonding involving the coordinated substrate may significantly lower the OAT barrier as shown by explicitly adding water molecules. Substitution of tungsten for molybdenum generally lowers OAT activation energies and makes nitrate reduction reaction energies more negative. Bidentate carboxylato binding identified in Escherichia coli NarGHI is the preferred binding mode also for an acetato model. However, one dithiolato ligand folds when the Mo(VI) center is bare of a good pi-donor ligand, e.g., an oxo group. Computations on [(mnt)(2)Mo(IV)(YR)(PPh(3))](-) [mnt is (CN)(2)C(2)S(2) (2-)] gave a smaller nitrate reduction activation energy for RY(-) is Cl(-), compared with RY(-) is PhS(-), although experimentally only the phenyl thiolato complex and not the chloro complex was found to be a functional NR model.

Structure of the non-redox-active tungsten/[4Fe:4S] enzyme acetylene hydratase

The tungsten-iron-sulfur enzyme acetylene hydratase stands out from its class because it catalyzes a nonredox reaction, the hydration of acetylene to acetaldehyde. Sequence comparisons group the protein into the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase family, and it contains a bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide-ligated tungsten atom and a cubane-type [4Fe:4S] cluster. The crystal structure of acetylene hydratase at 1.26 A now shows that the tungsten center binds a water molecule that is activated by an adjacent aspartate residue, enabling it to attack acetylene bound in a distinct, hydrophobic pocket. This mechanism requires a strong shift of pK(a) of the aspartate, caused by a nearby low-potential [4Fe:4S] cluster. To access this previously unrecognized W-Asp active site, the protein evolved a new substrate channel distant from where it is found in other molybdenum and tungsten enzymes.

Heterodimeric nitrate reductase (NapAB) from Cupriavidus necator H16: purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis

The periplasmic nitrate reductase from Cupriavidus necator (also known as Ralstonia eutropha) is a heterodimer that is able to reduce nitrate to nitrite. It comprises a 91 kDa catalytic subunit (NapA) and a 17 kDa subunit (NapB) that is involved in electron transfer. The larger subunit contains a molybdenum active site with a bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide cofactor as well as one [4Fe-4S] cluster, while the small subunit is a di-haem c-type cytochrome. Crystals of the oxidized form of this enzyme were obtained using polyethylene glycol 3350 as precipitant. A single crystal grown at the High Throughput Crystallization Laboratory of the EMBL in Grenoble diffracted to beyond 1.5 A at the ESRF (ID14-1), which is the highest resolution reported to date for a nitrate reductase. The unit-cell parameters are a = 142.2, b = 82.4, c = 96.8 A, beta = 100.7 degrees, space group C2, and one heterodimer is present per asymmetric unit.

Electrochemical determination of nitrate with nitrate reductase-immobilized electrodes under ambient air

Nitrate monitoring biosensors were prepared by immobilizing nitrate reductase derived from yeast on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE, d = 3 mm) or screen-printed carbon paste electrode (SPCE, d = 3 mm) using a polymer (poly(vinyl alcohol)) entrapment method. The sensor could directly determine the nitrate in an unpurged aqueous solution with the aid of an appropriate oxygen scavenger: the nitrate reduction reaction driven by the enzyme and an electron-transfer mediator, methyl viologen, at -0.85 V (GCE vs Ag/AgCl) or at -0.90 V (SPCE vs Ag/AgCl) exhibited no oxygen interference in a sulfite-added solution. The electroanalytical properties of optimized biosensors were measured: the sensitivity, linear response range, and detection limit of the sensors based on GCE were 7.3 nA/microM, 15-300 microM (r2 = 0.995), and 4.1 microM (S/N = 3), respectively, and those of SPCE were 5.5 nA/microM, 15-250 microM (r2 = 0.996), and 5.5 microM (S/N = 3), respectively. The disposable SPCE-based biosensor with a built-in well- or capillary-type sample cell provided high sensor-to-sensor reproducibility (RSD < 3.4% below 250 microM) and could be used more than one month in normal room-temperature storage condition. The utility of the proposed sensor system was demonstrated by determining nitrate in real samples.

Structural, electrochemical and oxygen atom transfer properties of a molybdenum selenoether complex [Mo2O4(OC3H6SeC3H6O)2] and its thioether analogue [Mo2O4(OC3H6SC3H6O)2]

The first crystallographically characterized molybdenum(vi) selenoether complex [Mo(2)O(4)(OC(3)H(6)SeC(3)H(6)O)(2)] and its thioether analogue [Mo(2)O(4)(OC(3)H(6)SC(3)H(6)O)(2)] were synthesised. Their structural, electrochemical and oxygen atom transfer properties are compared. This is relevant for the molybdenum cofactors of the DMSO reductase family where the coordination of the active site metal occurs through O (serine/aspartate), S (cysteine) or Se (selenocysteine). Both structures are almost identical except for those parameters that are directly derived from the different sizes of the varied ligand atoms (Se and S). No trans influence was observed. The metal centered redox process (Mo(V)<-->Mo(VI)) is at slightly lower voltage for the sulfur than for the selenium complex. The selenium compound catalyses the oxygen atom transfer from DMSO to PPh(3) by a different mechanism and at a higher rate than the sulfur compound, which is an indication that cysteine and selenocysteine might be used for a purpose in the different molybdenum and tungsten cofactors.

Spectropotentiometric and structural analysis of the periplasmic nitrate reductase from Escherichia coli

The Escherichia coli NapA (periplasmic nitrate reductase) contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster and a Mo-bis-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide cofactor. The NapA holoenzyme associates with a di-heme c-type cytochrome redox partner (NapB). These proteins have been purified and studied by spectropotentiometry, and the structure of NapA has been determined. In contrast to the well characterized heterodimeric NapAB systems ofalpha-proteobacteria, such as Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Paracoccus pantotrophus, the gamma-proteobacterial E. coli NapA and NapB proteins purify independently and not as a tight heterodimeric complex. This relatively weak interaction is reflected in dissociation constants of 15 and 32 mum determined for oxidized and reduced NapAB complexes, respectively. The surface electrostatic potential of E. coli NapA in the apparent NapB binding region is markedly less polar and anionic than that of the alpha-proteobacterial NapA, which may underlie the weaker binding of NapB. The molybdenum ion coordination sphere of E. coli NapA includes two molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide dithiolenes, a protein-derived cysteinyl ligand and an oxygen atom. The Mo-O bond length is 2.6 A, which is indicative of a water ligand. The potential range over which the Mo(6+) state is reduced to the Mo(5+) state in either NapA (between +100 and -100 mV) or the NapAB complex (-150 to -350 mV) is much lower than that reported for R. sphaeroides NapA (midpoint potential Mo(6+/5+) > +350 mV), and the form of the Mo(5+) EPR signal is quite distinct. In E. coli NapA or NapAB, the Mo(5+) state could not be further reduced to Mo(4+). We then propose a catalytic cycle for E. coli NapA in which nitrate binds to the Mo(5+) ion and where a stable des-oxo Mo(6+) species may participate.

Arsenic and Selenium in Microbial Metabolism

Arsenic and selenium are readily metabolized by prokaryotes, participating in a full range of metabolic functions including assimilation, methylation, detoxification, and anaerobic respiration. Arsenic speciation and mobility is affected by microbes through oxidation/reduction reactions as part of resistance and respiratory processes. A robust arsenic cycle has been demonstrated in diverse environments. Respiratory arsenate reductases, arsenic methyltransferases, and new components in arsenic resistance have been recently described. The requirement for selenium stems primarily from its incorporation into selenocysteine and its function in selenoenzymes. Selenium oxyanions can serve as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration, forming distinct nanoparticles of elemental selenium that may be enriched in (76)Se. The biogenesis of selenoproteins has been elucidated, and selenium methyltransferases and a respiratory selenate reductase have also been described. This review highlights recent advances in ecology, biochemistry, and molecular biology and provides a prelude to the impact of genomics studies.

Crystal Structure of Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenase from Aromatoleum aromaticum

Anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons was discovered a decade ago, and ethylbenzene dehydrogenase was one of the first characterized enzymes involved. The structure of the soluble periplasmic 165 kDa enzyme was established at 1.88 A resolution. It is a heterotrimer. The alpha subunit contains the catalytic center with a molybdenum held by two molybdopterin-guanine dinucleotides, one with an open pyran ring, and an iron-sulfur cluster with a histidine ligand. During catalysis, electrons produced by substrate oxidation are transferred to a heme in the gamma subunit and then presumably to a separate cytochrome involved in nitrate respiration. The beta subunit contains four iron-sulfur clusters and is structurally related to ferredoxins. The gamma subunit is the first known protein with a methionine and a lysine as axial heme ligands. The catalytic product was modeled into the active center, showing the reaction geometry. A mechanism consistent with activity and inhibition data of ethylbenzene-related compounds is proposed.

Biology of Pseudomonas stutzeri

Pseudomonas stutzeri is a nonfluorescent denitrifying bacterium widely distributed in the environment, and it has also been isolated as an opportunistic pathogen from humans. Over the past 15 years, much progress has been made in elucidating the taxonomy of this diverse taxonomical group, demonstrating the clonality of its populations. The species has received much attention because of its particular metabolic properties: it has been proposed as a model organism for denitrification studies; many strains have natural transformation properties, making it relevant for study of the transfer of genes in the environment; several strains are able to fix dinitrogen; and others participate in the degradation of pollutants or interact with toxic metals. This review considers the history of the discovery, nomenclatural changes, and early studies, together with the relevant biological and ecological properties, of P. stutzeri.

EPR and redox properties of periplasmic nitrate reductase from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774

Nitrate reductases are enzymes that catalyze the conversion of nitrate to nitrite. We report here electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies in the periplasmic nitrate reductase isolated from the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774. This protein, belonging to the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase family of mononuclear Mo-containing enzymes, comprises a single 80-kDa subunit and contains a Mo bis(molybdopterin guanosine dinucleotide) cofactor and a [4Fe-4S] cluster. EPR-monitored redox titrations, carried out with and without nitrate in the potential range from 200 to -500 mV, and EPR studies of the enzyme, in both catalytic and inhibited conditions, reveal distinct types of Mo(V) EPR-active species, which indicates that the Mo site presents high coordination flexibility. These studies show that nitrate modulates the redox properties of the Mo active site, but not those of the [4Fe-4S] center. The possible structures and the role in catalysis of the distinct Mo(V) species detected by EPR are discussed.

Structure of the hydrophilic domain of respiratory complex I from Thermus thermophilus

Respiratory complex I plays a central role in cellular energy production in bacteria and mitochondria. Its dysfunction is implicated in many human neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in aging. The crystal structure of the hydrophilic domain (peripheral arm) of complex I from Thermus thermophilus has been solved at 3.3 angstrom resolution. This subcomplex consists of eight subunits and contains all the redox centers of the enzyme, including nine iron-sulfur clusters. The primary electron acceptor, flavin-mononucleotide, is within electron transfer distance of cluster N3, leading to the main redox pathway, and of the distal cluster N1a, a possible antioxidant. The structure reveals new aspects of the mechanism and evolution of the enzyme. The terminal cluster N2 is coordinated, uniquely, by two consecutive cysteines. The novel subunit Nqo15 has a similar fold to the mitochondrial iron chaperone frataxin, and it may be involved in iron-sulfur cluster regeneration in the complex.

Mechanism of Nitrate Reduction byDesulfovibrio desulfuricans Nitrate Reductase—A Theoretical Investigation

The oxidative half-reaction of oxygen atom transfer from nitrate to an Mo(IV) complex has been investigated at various levels of theory. Two models have been used to simulate the enzyme active site. In the second, more advanced model, additional amino acid residues capable of significantly affecting the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme were included. B3LYP/6-31+G*, ONIOM, and orbital-free embedding approaches have been used to construct the potential energy profile and to qualitatively compare the results of a QM/MM study with those obtained by a full quantum mechanical strategy. The study has confirmed the utility of the orbital-free embedding method in the description of enzymatic processes.

Evolution of the soluble nitrate reductase: defining the monomeric periplasmic nitrate reductase subgroup

Bacterial nitrate reductases can be classified into at least three groups according to their localization and function, namely membrane-bound (NAR) or periplasmic (NAP) respiratory and cytoplasmic assimilatory (NAS) enzymes. Monomeric NASs are the simplest of the soluble nitrate reductases, although heterodimeric NASs exist, and a common structural arrangement of NAP is that of a NapAB heterodimer. Using bioinformatic analysis of published genomes, we have identified more representatives of a monomeric class of NAP, which is the evolutionary link between the monomeric NASs and the heterodimeric NAPs. This has further established the monomeric structural clade of NAP. The operons of the monomeric NAP do not contain NapB and suggest that other redox partners are employed by these enzymes, including NapM or NapG predicted proteins. A structural alignment and comparison of the monomeric and heterodimeric NAPs suggests that a difference in surface polarity is related to the interaction of the respective catalytic subunit and redox partner.

Bacterial nitrate reductases: Molecular and biological aspects of nitrate reduction

Nitrogen is a vital component in living organisms as it participates in the making of essential biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, etc. In the biosphere, nitrogen cycles between the oxidation states +V and -III producing many species that constitute the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. All reductive branches of this cycle involve the conversion of nitrate to nitrite, which is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrate reductase. The characterization of nitrate reductases from prokaryotic organisms has allowed us to gain considerable information on the molecular basis of nitrate reduction. Prokaryotic nitrate reductases are mononuclear Mo-containing enzymes sub-grouped as respiratory nitrate reductases, periplasmic nitrate reductases and assimilatory nitrate reductases. We review here the biological and molecular properties of these three enzymes along with their gene organization and expression, which are necessary to understand the biological processes involved in nitrate reduction.

Enzyme Electrochemistry — Biocatalysis on an Electrode

Oxidoreductase enzymes catalyze single- or multi-electron reduction/oxidation reactions of small molecule inorganic or organic substrates, and they are integral to a wide variety of biological processes including respiration, energy production, biosynthesis, metabolism, and detoxification. All redox enzymes require a natural redox partner such as an electron-transfer protein (e.g. cytochrome, ferredoxin, flavoprotein) or a small molecule cosubstrate (e.g. NAD(P)H, dioxygen) to sustain catalysis, in effect to balance the substrate/product redox half-reaction. In principle, the natural electron-transfer partner may be replaced by an electrochemical working electrode. One of the great strengths of this approach is that the rate of catalysis (equivalent to the observed electrochemical current) may be probed as a function of applied potential through linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry, and insight to the overall catalytic mechanism may be gained by a systematic electrochemical study coupled with theoretical analysis. In this review, the various approaches to enzyme electrochemistry will be discussed, including direct and indirect (mediated) experiments, and a brief coverage of the theory relevant to these techniques will be presented. The importance of immobilizing enzymes on the electrode surface will be presented and the variety of ways that this may be done will be reviewed. The importance of chemical modification of the electrode surface in ensuring an environment conducive to a stable and active enzyme capable of functioning natively will be illustrated. Fundamental research into electrochemically driven enzyme catalysis has led to some remarkable practical applications. The glucose oxidase enzyme electrode is a spectacularly successful application of enzyme electrochemistry. Biosensors based on this technology are used worldwide by sufferers of diabetes to provide rapid and accurate analysis of blood glucose concentrations. Other applications of enzyme electrochemistry are in the sensing of macromolecular complexation events such as antigen–antibody binding and DNA hybridization. The review will include a selection of enzymes that have been successfully investigated by electrochemistry and, where appropriate, discuss their development towards practical biotechnological applications.

The mobA gene is required for assimilatory and respiratory nitrate reduction but not xanthine dehydrogenase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The requirement for the mobA gene in key assimilatory and respiratory nitrogen metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was investigated by mutational analysis of PA3030 (mobA; MoCo guanylating enzyme), PA1779 (nasA; assimilatory nitrate reductase), and PA3875 (narG; respiratory nitrate reductase). The mobA mutant was deficient in both assimilatory and respiratory nitrate reductase activities, whereas xanthine dehydrogenase activity remained unaffected. Thus, P. aeruginosa requires both the molybdopterin (MPT) and molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide (MGD) forms of the molybdenum cofactor for a complete spectrum of nitrogen metabolism, and one form cannot substitute for the other. Regulation studies using a Phi(PA3030-lacZGm) reporter strain suggest that expression of mobA is not influenced by the type of nitrogen source or by anaerobiosis, whereas assimilatory nitrate reductase activity was detected only in the presence of nitrate.

A nhaD Na+/H+ antiporter and a pcd homologues are among the Rhodothermus marinus complex I genes

The NADH:menaquinone oxidoreductase (Nqo) is one of the enzymes present in the respiratory chain of the thermohalophilic bacterium Rhodothermus marinus. The genes coding for the R. marinus Nqo subunits were isolated and sequenced, clustering in two operons [nqo1 to nqo7 (nqoA) and nqo10 to nqo14 (nqoB)] and two independent genes (nqo8 and nqo9). Unexpectedly, two genes encoding homologues of a NhaD Na+/H+ antiporter (NhaD) and of a pterin-4alpha-carbinolamine dehydratase (PCD) were identified within nqoB, flanked by nqo13 and nqo14. Eight conserved motives to harbour iron-sulphur centres are identified in the deduced primary structures, as well as two consensus sequences to bind nucleotides, in this case NADH and FMN. Moreover, the open-reading-frames of the putative NhaD and PCD were shown to be co-transcribed with the other complex I genes encoded by nqoB. The possible role of these two genes in R. marinus complex I is discussed.

Nitrate reduction byDesulfovibrio desulfuricans: A periplasmic nitrate reductase system that lacks NapB, but includes a unique tetrahemec-type cytochrome, NapM

Many sulphate reducing bacteria can also reduce nitrite, but relatively few isolates are known to reduce nitrate. Although nitrate reductase genes are absent from Desulfovibrio vulgaris strain Hildenborough, for which the complete genome sequence has been reported, a single subunit periplasmic nitrate reductase, NapA, was purified from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain 27774, and the structural gene was cloned and sequenced. Chromosome walking methods have now been used to determine the complete sequence of the nap gene cluster from this organism. The data confirm the absence of a napB homologue, but reveal a novel six-gene organisation, napC-napM-napA-napD-napG-napH. The NapC polypeptide is more similar to the NrfH subgroup of tetraheme cytochromes than to NapC from other bacteria. NapM is predicted to be a tetra-heme c-type cytochrome with similarity to the small tetraheme cytochromes from Shewanella oneidensis. The operon is located close to a gene encoding a lysyl-tRNA synthetase that is also found in D. vulgaris. We suggest that electrons might be transferred to NapA either from menaquinol via NapC, or from other electron donors such as formate or hydrogen via the small tetraheme cytochrome, NapM. We also suggest that, despite the absence of a twin-arginine targeting sequence, NapG might be located in the periplasm where it would provide an alternative direct electron donor to NapA.

Nitrate reduction and the nitrogen cycle in archaea

The nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) in the biosphere, mainly driven by prokaryotes, involves different reductive or oxidative reactions used either for assimilatory purposes or in respiratory processes for energy conservation. As the N-cycle has important agricultural and environmental implications, bacterial nitrogen metabolism has become a major research topic in recent years. Archaea are able to perform different reductive pathways of the N-cycle, including both assimilatory processes, such as nitrate assimilation and N(2) fixation, and dissimilatory reactions, such as nitrate respiration and denitrification. However, nitrogen metabolism is much less known in archaea than in bacteria. The availability of the complete genome sequences of several members of the eury- and crenarchaeota has enabled new approaches to the understanding of archaeal physiology and biochemistry, including metabolic reactions involving nitrogen compounds. Comparative studies reveal that significant differences exist in the structure and regulation of some enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism in archaea, giving rise to important conclusions and new perspectives regarding the evolution, function and physiological relevance of the different N-cycle processes. This review discusses the advances that have been made in understanding nitrate reduction and other aspects of the inorganic nitrogen metabolism in archaea.

The emerging molecular structure of the nitrogen cycle: an introduction to the proceedings of the 10th annual N-cycle meeting

Over the last 10 years, during the lifetime of the nitrogen cycle meetings, structural biology, coupled with spectroscopy, has had a major impact of our understanding enzymology of the nitrogen cycle. The three-dimensional structures for many of the key enzymes have now been resolved and have provided a wealth of information regarding the architecture of redox active metal sites, as well as revealing novel structural folds. Coupled with structure-based spectroscopic analysis, this has led to new insight into the reaction mechanisms of the diverse chemical transformations that together cycle nitrogen in the biosphere. An overview of the some of the key developments in field over the last decade is presented.

Characterization of the Iron-Sulfur Cluster N7 (N1c) in the Subunit NuoG of the Proton-translocating NADH-quinone Oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli

The proton-pumping NADH-quinone oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli houses nine iron-sulfur clusters, eight of which are found in its mitochondrial counterpart, complex I. The extra putative iron-sulfur cluster binding site with a CXXCXXXCX(27)C motif in the NuoG subunit has been assigned to ligate a [2Fe-2S] (N1c). However, we have shown previously that the Thermus thermophilus N1c fragment containing this motif ligates a [4Fe-4S] (Nakamaru-Ogiso, E., Yano, T., Ohnishi, T., and Yagi, T. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 1680-1688). In the current study, we individually inactivated four sets of the iron-sulfur binding motifs in the E. coli NuoG subunit by replacing all four ligands with Ala. Each mutant subunit, designated Delta N1b, Delta N1c, Delta N4, and Delta N5, was expressed as maltose-binding protein fusion proteins. After in vitro reconstitution, all mutant subunits were characterized by EPR. Although EPR signals from cluster N1b were not detected in any preparations, we detected two [4Fe-4S] EPR signals with g values of g(x,y,z) = 1.89, 1.94, and 2.06, and g(x,y,z) = 1.91, 1.94, and 2.05 at 6-20 K in wild type, Delta N1b, and Delta N5. The former signal was assigned to cluster N4, and the latter signal was assigned to cluster N1c because of their disappearance in Delta N4 and Delta N1c. Confirming that a [4Fe-4S] cluster ligates to the N1c motif, we propose to replace its misleading [2Fe-2S] name, N1c, with "cluster N7." In addition, because these mutations differently affected the assembly of peripheral subunits by in trans complementation analysis with the nuoG knock-out strain, the implicated structural importance of the iron-sulfur binding domains is discussed.

Reductive activation of nitrate reductases

Protein film voltammetry of Paracoccus pantotrophus respiratory nitrate reductase (NarGH) and Synechococcus elongatus assimilatory nitrate reductase (NarB) shows that reductive activation of these enzymes may be required before steady state catalysis is observed. For NarGH complementary spectroscopic studies suggest a structural context for the activation. Catalytic protein film voltammetry at a range of temperatures has allowed quantitation of the activation energies for nitrate reduction. For NarGH with an operating potential of ca. 0.05 V the activation energy of ca. 35 kJ mol-1 is over twice that measured for NarB whose operating potential is ca. -0.35 V.

Structural and biochemical identification of a novel bacterial oxidoreductase

By using a bioinformatics screen of the Escherichia coli genome for potential molybdenum-containing enzymes, we have identified a novel oxidoreductase conserved in the majority of Gram-negative bacteria. The identified operon encodes for a proposed heterodimer, YedYZ in Escherichia coli, consisting of a soluble catalytic subunit termed YedY, which is likely anchored to the membrane by a heme-containing trans-membrane subunit termed YedZ. YedY is uniquely characterized by the presence of one molybdenum molybdopterin not conjugated by an additional nucleotide, and it represents the only molybdoenzyme isolated from E. coli characterized by the presence of this cofactor form. We have further characterized the catalytic subunit YedY in both the molybdenum- and tungsten-substituted forms by using crystallographic analysis. YedY is very distinct in overall architecture from all known bacterial reductases but does show some similarity with the catalytic domain of the eukaryotic chicken liver sulfite oxidase. However, the strictly conserved residues involved in the metal coordination sphere and in the substrate binding pocket of YedY are strikingly different from that of chicken liver sulfite oxidase, suggesting a catalytic activity more in keeping with a reductase than that of a sulfite oxidase. Preliminary kinetic analysis of YedY with a variety of substrates supports our proposal that YedY and its many orthologues may represent a new type of membrane-associated bacterial reductase.

Genetics of metabolic variations between Yersinia pestis biovars and the proposal of a new biovar, microtus

Yersinia pestis has been historically divided into three biovars: antiqua, mediaevalis, and orientalis. On the basis of this study, strains from Microtus-related plague foci are proposed to constitute a new biovar, microtus. Based on the ability to ferment glycerol and arabinose and to reduce nitrate, Y. pestis strains can be assigned to one of four biovars: antiqua (glycerol positive, arabinose positive, and nitrate positive), mediaevalis (glycerol positive, arabinose positive, and nitrate negative), orientalis (glycerol negative, arabinose positive, and nitrate positive), and microtus (glycerol positive, arabinose negative, and nitrate negative). A 93-bp in-frame deletion in glpD gene results in the glycerol-negative characteristic of biovar orientalis strains. Two kinds of point mutations in the napA gene may cause the nitrate reduction-negative characteristic in biovars mediaevalis and microtus, respectively. A 122-bp frameshift deletion in the araC gene may lead to the arabinose-negative phenotype of biovar microtus strains. Biovar microtus strains have a unique genomic profile of gene loss and pseudogene distribution, which most likely accounts for the human attenuation of this new biovar. Focused, hypothesis-based investigations on these specific genes will help delineate the determinants that enable this deadly pathogen to be virulent to humans and give insight into the evolution of Y. pestis and plague pathogenesis. Moreover, there may be the implications for development of biovar microtus strains as a potential vaccine.

Architecture of NarGH reveals a structural classification of Mo-bisMGD enzymes

The structure of the catalytic and electron-transfer subunits (NarGH) of the integral membrane protein, respiratory nitrate reductase (Nar) has been determined to 2.0 A resolution revealing the molecular architecture of this Mo-bisMGD (molybdopterin-guanine-dinucleotide) containing enzyme which includes a previously undetected FeS cluster. Nar, together with the related enzyme formate dehydrogenase (Fdh-N), is a key enzyme in the generation of proton motive force across the membrane in Escherichia coli nitrate respiration. A comparative study revealed that Nar and Fdh-N employ different approaches for acquiring substrate, reflecting different catalytic mechanisms. Nar uses a very narrow and nonpolar substrate-conducting cavity with a nonspecific substrate binding site, whereas Fdh-N accommodates a wider, positively charged substrate-conducting cavity with a more specific substrate binding site. The Nar structure also demonstrates the first example of an Asp side chain acting as a Mo ligand providing a structural basis for the classification of Mo-bisMGD enzymes.

Mo and W bis-MGD enzymes: nitrate reductases and formate dehydrogenases

Molybdenum and tungsten are second- and third-row transition elements, respectively, which are found in a mononuclear form in the active site of a diverse group of enzymes that generally catalyze oxygen atom transfer reactions. Mononuclear Mo-containing enzymes have been classified into three families: xanthine oxidase, DMSO reductase, and sulfite oxidase. The proteins of the DMSO reductase family present the widest diversity of properties among its members and our knowledge about this family was greatly broadened by the study of the enzymes nitrate reductase and formate dehydrogenase, obtained from different sources. We discuss in this review the information of the better characterized examples of these two types of Mo enzymes and W enzymes closely related to the members of the DMSO reductase family. We briefly summarize, also, the few cases reported so far for enzymes that can function either with Mo or W at their active site.

Crystal structure of pyrogallol-phloroglucinol transhydroxylase, an Mo enzyme capable of intermolecular hydroxyl transfer between phenols

The Mo enzyme transhydroxylase from the anaerobic microorganism Pelobacter acidigallici catalyzes the conversion of pyrogallol to phloroglucinol. Such trihydroxybenzenes and their derivatives represent important building blocks of plant polymers. None of the transferred hydroxyl groups originates from water during transhydroxylation; instead a cosubstrate, such as 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroxybenzene, is used in a reaction without apparent electron transfer. Here, we report on the crystal structure of the enzyme in the reduced Mo(IV) state, which we solved by single anomalous-diffraction technique. It represents the largest structure (1,149 amino acid residues per molecule, 12 independent molecules per unit cell), which has been solved so far by single anomalous-diffraction technique. Tranhydroxylase is a heterodimer, with the active Mo-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide (MGD)(2) site in the alpha-subunit, and three [4Fe-4S] centers in the beta-subunit. The latter subunit carries a seven-stranded, mainly antiparallel beta-barrel domain. We propose a scheme for the transhydroxylation reaction based on 3D structures of complexes of the enzyme with various polyphenols serving either as substrate or inhibitor.

Mutagenesis study on amino acids around the molybdenum centre of the periplasmic nitrate reductase from Ralstonia eutropha

Molybdenum enzymes containing the pterin cofactor are a diverse group of enzymes that catalyse in general oxygen atom transfer reactions. Aiming at studying the amino acid residues, which are important for the enzymatic specificity, we used nitrate reductase from Ralstonia eutropha (R.e.NAP) as a model system for mutational studies at the active site. We mutated amino acids at the Mo active site (Cys181 and Arg421) as well as amino acids in the funnel leading to it (Met182, Asp196, Glu197, and the double mutant Glu197-Asp196). The mutations were made on the basis of the structural comparison of nitrate reductases with formate dehydrogenases (FDH), which show very similar three-dimensional structures, but clear differences in amino acids surrounding the active site. For mutations Arg421Lys and Glu197Ala we found a reduced nitrate activity while the other mutations resulted in complete loss of activity. In spite of the partial of total loss of nitrate reductase activity, these mutants do not, however, display FDH activity.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Proteins Associated in the Four Major Energy Metabolism Systems: Photosynthesis, Aerobic Respiration, Denitrification, and Sulfur Respiration

The four electron transfer energy metabolism systems, photosynthesis, aerobic respiration, denitrification, and sulfur respiration, are thought to be evolutionarily related because of the similarity of electron transfer patterns and the existence of some homologous proteins. How these systems have evolved is elusive. We therefore conducted a comprehensive homology search using PSI-BLAST, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted for the three homologous groups (groups 1-3) based on multiple alignments of domains defined in the Pfam database. There are five electron transfer types important for catalytic reaction in group 1, and many proteins bind molybdenum. Deletions of two domains led to loss of the function of binding molybdenum and ferredoxin, and these deletions seem to be critical for the electron transfer pattern changes in group 1. Two types of electron transfer were found in group 2, and all its member proteins bind siroheme and ferredoxin. Insertion of the pyridine nucleotide disulfide oxidoreductase domain seemed to be the critical point for the electron transfer pattern change in this group. The proteins belonging to group 3 are all flavin enzymes, and they bind flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Types of electron transfer in this group are divergent, but there are two common characteristics. NAD(P)H works as an electron donor or acceptor, and FAD or FMN transfers electrons from/to NAD(P)H. Electron transfer functions might be added to these common characteristics by the addition of functional domains through the evolution of group 3 proteins. Based on the phylogenetic analyses in this study and previous studies, we inferred the phylogeny of the energy metabolism systems as follows: photosynthesis (and possibly aerobic respiration) and the sulfur/nitrogen assimilation system first diverged, then the sulfur/nitrogen dissimilation system was produced from the latter system.

Tuning a Nitrate Reductase for Function

Bacterial cytoplasmic assimilatory nitrate reductases are the least well characterized of all of the subgroups of nitrate reductases. In the present study the ferredoxin-dependent nitrate reductase NarB of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 was analyzed by spectropotentiometry and protein film voltammetry. Metal and acid-labile sulfide analysis revealed nearest integer values of 4:4:1 (iron/sulfur/molybdenum)/molecule of NarB. Analysis of dithionite-reduced enzyme by low temperature EPR revealed at 10 K the presence of a signal that is characteristic of a [4Fe-4S](1+) cluster. EPR-monitored potentiometric titration of NarB revealed that this cluster titrated as an n = 1 Nernstian component with a midpoint redox potential (E(m)) of -190 mV. EPR spectra collected at 60 K revealed a Mo(V) signal termed "very high g" with g(av) = 2.0047 in air-oxidized enzyme that accounted for only 10-20% of the total molybdenum. This signal disappeared upon reduction with dithionite, and a new "high g" species (g(av) = 1.9897) was observed. In potentiometric titrations the high g Mo(V) signal developed over the potential range of -100 to -350 mV (E(m) Mo(6+/5+) = -150 mV), and when fully developed, it accounted for 1 mol of Mo(V)/mol of enzyme. Protein film voltammetry of NarB revealed that activity is turned on at potentials below -200 mV, where the cofactors are predominantly [4Fe-4S](1+) and Mo(5+). The data suggests that during the catalytic cycle nitrate will bind to the Mo(5+) state of NarB in which the enzyme is minimally two-electron-reduced. Comparison of the spectral properties of NarB with those of the membrane-bound and periplasmic respiratory nitrate reductases reveals that it is closely related to the periplasmic enzyme, but the potential of the molybdenum center of NarB is tuned to operate at lower potentials, consistent with the coupling of NarB to low potential ferredoxins in the cell cytoplasm.

The crystal structure of plant sulfite oxidase provides insights into sulfite oxidation in plants and animals

The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) containing sulfite oxidase (SO) from Arabidopsis thaliana has recently been identified and biochemically characterized. The enzyme is found in peroxisomes and believed to detoxify excess sulfite that is produced during sulfur assimilation, or due to air pollution. Plant SO (PSO) is homodimeric and homologous to animal SO, but contains only a single Moco domain without an additional redox center. Here, we present the first crystal structure of a plant Moco enzyme, the apo-state of Arabidopsis SO at 2.6 A resolution. The overall fold and coordination of the Moco are similar to chicken SO (CSO). Comparisons of conserved surface residues and the charge distribution in PSO and CSO reveal major differences near the entrance to both active sites reflecting different electron acceptors. Arg374 has been identified as an important substrate binding residue due to its conformational change when compared to the sulfate bound structure of CSO.

The critical role of tryptophan-116 in the catalytic cycle of dimethylsulfoxide reductase from Rhodobacter capsulatus

In dimethylsulfoxide reductase of Rhodobacter capsulatus tryptophan-116 forms a hydrogen bond with a single oxo ligand bound to the molybdenum ion. Mutation of this residue to phenylalanine affected the UV/visible spectrum of the purified Mo(VI) form of dimethylsulfoxide reductase resulting in the loss of the characteristic transition at 720 nm. Results of steady-state kinetic analysis and electrochemical studies suggest that tryptophan 116 plays a critical role in stabilizing the hexacoordinate monooxo Mo(VI) form of the enzyme and prevents the formation of a dioxo pentacoordinate Mo(VI) species, generated as a consequence of the dissociation of one of the dithiolene ligands of the molybdopterin cofactor from the Mo ion.

Structural basis of denitrification

Denitrification represents an important part of the biogeochemical cycle of the essential element nitrogen. It constitutes the predominant pathway of the reductive dissimilation of nitrate in the environment. Via four enzymatic reactions, nitrate is transformed stepwise to nitrite (NO2-), nitric oxide (NO), and nitrous oxide (N2O), to finally yield dinitrogen gas (N2). All steps within this metabolic pathway are catalyzed by complex multi-site metalloenzymes with unique spectroscopic and structural features. In recent years, high-resolution crystal structures have become available for these enzymes with the exception of the structure for NO reductase.

Incorporation of either molybdenum or tungsten into formate dehydrogenase from Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491; EPR assignment of the proximal iron-sulfur cluster to the pterin cofactor in formate dehydrogenases from sulfate-reducing bacteria

We report the characterization of the molecular properties and EPR studies of a new formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from the sulfate-reducing organism Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491. FDHs are enzymes that catalyze the two-electron oxidation of formate to carbon dioxide in several aerobic and anaerobic organisms. D. alaskensis FDH is a heterodimeric protein with a molecular weight of 126+/-2 kDa composed of two subunits, alpha=93+/-3 kDa and beta=32+/-2 kDa, which contains 6+/-1 Fe/molecule, 0.4+/-0.1 Mo/molecule, 0.3+/-0.1 W/molecule, and 1.3+/-0.1 guanine monophosphate nucleotides. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of D. alaskensis FDH is typical of an iron-sulfur protein with a broad band around 400 nm. Variable-temperature EPR studies performed on reduced samples of D. alaskensis FDH showed the presence of signals associated with the different paramagnetic centers of D. alaskensis FDH. Three rhombic signals having g-values and relaxation behavior characteristic of [4Fe-4S] clusters were observed in the 5-40 K temperature range. Two EPR signals with all the g-values less than two, which accounted for less than 0.1 spin/protein, typical of mononuclear Mo(V) and W(V), respectively, were observed. The signal associated with the W(V) ion has a larger deviation from the free electron g-value, as expected for tungsten in a d(1) configuration, albeit with an unusual relaxation behavior. The EPR parameters of the Mo(V) signal are within the range of values typically found for the slow-type signal observed in several Mo-containing proteins belonging to the xanthine oxidase family of enzymes. Mo(V) resonances are split at temperatures below 50 K by magnetic coupling with one of the Fe/S clusters. The analysis of the inter-center magnetic interaction allowed us to assign the EPR-distinguishable iron-sulfur clusters with those seen in the crystal structure of a homologous enzyme.