Exploring the terminal region of the proton pathway in the bacterial nitric oxide reductase

Harnessing the potential of ginkgo biloba extract: Boosting denitrification performance through accelerated electron transfer

Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) had several effects on the human body as one of the widely used phytopharmaceuticals, but it had no application in microbial enhancement in the environmental field. The study focused on the impact of GBE on denitrification specifically under neutral conditions. At the identified optimal addition ratio of 2% (v/v), the system exhibited a noteworthy increase in nitrate reduction rate (NRR) by 56.34%, elevating from 0.71 to 1.11 mg-N/(L·h). Moreover, the extraction of microbial extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) at this ratio revealed changes in the composition of EPS, the electron exchange capacity (EEC) was enhanced from 87.16 to 140.4 μmol/(g C), and the transfer impedance was reduced within the EPS. The flavin, fulvic acid (FA), and humic acid (HA) provided a π-electron conjugated structure for the denitrification system, enhancing extracellular electron transfer (EET) by stimulating carbon source metabolism. GBE also improved electron transfer system activity (ETSA) from 0.025 to 0.071 μL O2/(g·min·prot) and the content of NADH enhanced by 22.90% while significantly reducing the activation energy (Ea) by 85.6% in the denitrification process. The synergy of improving both intracellular and extracellular electron transfer, along with the reduction of Ea, notably amplified the initiation and reduction rates of the denitrification process. Additionally, GBE demonstrated suitability for denitrification across various pH levels, enhancing microbial resilience in alkaline conditions and promoting survival and proliferation. Overall, these findings open the door to potential applications of GBE as a natural additive in the environmental field to improve the efficiency of denitrification processes, which are essential for nitrogen removal in various environmental contexts.

The Biologically Relevant Coordination Chemistry of Iron and Nitric Oxide: Electronic Structure and Reactivity

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that is involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological events in biology. Metal coordination chemistry, especially with iron, is at the heart of many biological transformations involving NO. A series of heme proteins, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and nitrophorins, are responsible for the biosynthesis, sensing, and transport of NO. Alternatively, NO can be generated from nitrite by heme- and copper-containing nitrite reductases (NIRs). The NO-bearing small molecules such as nitrosothiols and dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) can serve as an alternative vehicle for NO storage and transport. Once NO is formed, the rich reaction chemistry of NO leads to a wide variety of biological activities including reduction of NO by heme or non-heme iron-containing NO reductases and protein post-translational modifications by DNICs. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of metal sites in biology with NO and the mechanisms of these transformations has come from the elucidation of the geometric and electronic structures and chemical reactivity of synthetic model systems, in synergy with biochemical and biophysical studies on the relevant proteins themselves. This review focuses on recent advancements from studies on proteins and model complexes that not only have improved our understanding of the biological roles of NO but also have provided foundations for biomedical research and for bio-inspired catalyst design in energy science.

Biological and Bioinspired Inorganic N-N Bond-Forming Reactions

The metallobiochemistry underlying the formation of the inorganic N-N-bond-containing molecules nitrous oxide (N2O), dinitrogen (N2), and hydrazine (N2H4) is essential to the lifestyles of diverse organisms. Similar reactions hold promise as means to use N-based fuels as alternative carbon-free energy sources. This review discusses research efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying biological N-N bond formation in primary metabolism and how the associated reactions are tied to energy transduction and organismal survival. These efforts comprise studies of both natural and engineered metalloenzymes as well as synthetic model complexes.

Carbon selection for nitrogen degradation pathway by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: Based on the balances of nitrogen, carbon and electron

A novel strain DQ01 capable of simultaneous removal of nitrate and ammonium under the aerobic condition was isolated from the landfill leachate and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The result showed that S. maltophilia had carbon selection for the nitrogen removal pathway, and preferred to utilize carboxylate rather than carbohydrate, as carboxylate could directly participate in TCA cycle without Embden Meyerhof Parmas (EMP). Nitrogen and carbon balances confirmed that the ammonium assimilation was the main or even sole removal pathway for S. maltophilia, and carboxylate was more conducive to heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) process due to the serious self-alkalization and higher reduction potential of carboxylate, which followed: NH₄⁺ → NO₂^- → NO₃^- → NO₂^- → NO due to the lack of nor and nos. Meanwhile, the higher C/N and nitrate could generate a more powerful ion transport driving force to accelerate the electron transfer in the denitrifying respiratory chain.

Insights into the mechanism of nitric oxide reductase from a FeB -depleted variant

A key step of denitrification, the reduction of toxic nitric oxide to nitrous oxide, is catalysed by cytochrome c-dependent NO reductase (cNOR). cNOR contains four redox-active cofactors: three hemes and a nonheme iron (Fe_B ). Heme b₃ and Fe_B constitute the active site, but the specific mechanism of NO-binding events and reduction is under debate. Here, we used a recently constructed, fully folded and hemylated cNOR variant that lacks Fe_B to investigate the role of Fe_B during catalysis. We show that in the Fe_B -less cNOR, binding of both NO and O₂ to heme b₃ still occurs but further reduction is impaired, although to a lesser degree for O₂ than for NO. Implications for the catalytic mechanisms of cNOR are discussed.

Nitric Oxide Reductase Activity in Heme-Nonheme Binuclear Engineered Myoglobins through a One-Electron Reduction Cycle

Fe_BMbs are structural and functional models of native bacterial nitric oxide reductases (NORs) generated through engineering of myoglobin. These biosynthetic models replicate the heme-nonheme diiron site of NORs and allow substitutions of metal centers and heme cofactors. Here, we provide evidence for multiple NOR turnover in monoformyl-heme-containing Fe_BMb1 proteins loaded with Fe^II, Co^II, or Zn^II metal ions at the Fe_B site (Fe^II/Co^II/Zn^II-Fe_BMb1(MF-heme)). FTIR detection of the ν(NNO) band of N₂O at 2231 cm^-1 provides a direct quantitative measurement of the product in solution. A maximum number of turnover is observed with Fe^II-Fe_BMb1(MF-heme), but the NOR activity is retained when the Fe_B site is loaded with Zn^II. These data support the viability of a one-electron semireduced pathway for the reduction of NO at binuclear centers in reducing conditions.

Characterization of the quinol-dependent nitric oxide reductase from the pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, an electrogenic enzyme

Bacterial nitric oxide reductases (NORs) catalyse the reduction of NO to N₂O and H₂O. NORs are found either in denitrification chains, or in pathogens where their primary role is detoxification of NO produced by the immune defense of the host. Although NORs belong to the heme-copper oxidase superfamily, comprising proton-pumping O₂-reducing enzymes, the best studied NORs, cNORs (cytochrome c-dependent), are non-electrogenic. Here, we focus on another type of NOR, qNOR (quinol-dependent). Recombinant qNOR from Neisseria meningitidis, a human pathogen, purified from Escherichia coli, showed high catalytic activity and spectroscopic properties largely similar to cNORs. However, in contrast to cNOR, liposome-reconstituted qNOR showed respiratory control ratios above two, indicating that NO reduction by qNOR was electrogenic. Further, we determined a 4.5 Å crystal structure of the N. meningitidis qNOR, allowing exploration of a potential proton transfer pathway from the cytoplasm by mutagenesis. Most mutations had little effect on the activity, however the E-498 variants were largely inactive, while the corresponding substitution in cNOR was previously shown not to induce significant effects. We thus suggest that, contrary to cNOR, the N. meningitidis qNOR uses cytoplasmic protons for NO reduction. Our results allow possible routes for protons to be discussed.

Using Biosynthetic Models of Heme-Copper Oxidase and Nitric Oxide Reductase in Myoglobin to Elucidate Structural Features Responsible for Enzymatic Activities

In biology, a heme-Cu center in heme-copper oxidases (HCOs) is used to catalyze the four-electron reduction of oxygen to water, while a heme-nonheme diiron center in nitric oxide reductases (NORs) is employed to catalyze the two-electron reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide. Although much progress has been made in biochemical and biophysical studies of HCOs and NORs, structural features responsible for similarities and differences within the two enzymatic systems remain to be understood. Here, we discuss the progress made in the design and characterization of myoglobin-based enzyme models of HCOs and NORs. In particular, we focus on use of these models to understand the structure-function relations between HCOs and NORs, including the role of nonheme metals, conserved amino acids in the active site, heme types and hydrogen-bonding network in tuning enzymatic activities and total turnovers. Insights gained from these studies are summarized and future directions are proposed.

Investigating the Proton Donor in the NO Reductase from Paracoccus denitrificans

Variant nomenclature: the variants were made in the NorB subunit if not indicated by the superscript c, which are variants in the NorC subunit (e.g. E122A = exchange of Glu-122 in NorB for an Ala, E71cD; exchange of Glu-71 in NorC for an Asp). Bacterial NO reductases (NORs) are integral membrane proteins from the heme-copper oxidase superfamily. Most heme-copper oxidases are proton-pumping enzymes that reduce O2 as the last step in the respiratory chain. With electrons from cytochrome c, NO reductase (cNOR) from Paracoccus (P.) denitrificans reduces NO to N2O via the following reaction: 2NO+2e-+2H+→N2O+H2O. Although this reaction is as exergonic as O2-reduction, cNOR does not contribute to the electrochemical gradient over the membrane. This means that cNOR does not pump protons and that the protons needed for the reaction are taken from the periplasmic side of the membrane (since the electrons are donated from this side). We previously showed that the P. denitrificans cNOR uses a single defined proton pathway with residues Glu-58 and Lys-54 from the NorC subunit at the entrance. Here we further strengthened the evidence in support of this pathway. Our further aim was to define the continuation of the pathway and the immediate proton donor for the active site. To this end, we investigated the region around the calcium-binding site and both propionates of heme b3 by site directed mutagenesis. Changing single amino acids in these areas often had severe effects on cNOR function, with many variants having a perturbed active site, making detailed analysis of proton transfer properties difficult. Our data does however indicate that the calcium ligation sphere and the region around the heme b3 propionates are important for proton transfer and presumably contain the proton donor. The possible evolutionary link between the area for the immediate donor in cNOR and the proton loading site (PLS) for pumped protons in oxygen-reducing heme-copper oxidases is discussed.

Proton-Assisted Mechanism of NO Reduction on a Dinuclear Ruthenium Complex

Density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations are performed for the proposal of a plausible mechanism on the reduction of NO to N2O by a dinuclear ruthenium complex, reported by Arikawa and co-workers [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 14160]. On the basis of the experimental fact that the reduction proceeds under strongly acidic conditions, the role of protons in the mechanistic pathways is investigated with model complexes, where one or two NO ligands are protonated. The reaction mechanism of the NO reduction is partitioned into three steps: reorientation of N2O2 (cis-NO dimer), O-N bond cleavage, and N2O elimination. A key finding is that the protonation of the NO ligand(s) significantly reduces the activation barrier in the rate-determining reorientation step. The activation energy of 43.1 kcal/mol calculated for the proton-free model is reduced to 30.2 and 17.6 kcal/mol for the mono- and diprotonated models, respectively. The protonation induces the electron transfer from the Ru(II)Ru(II) core to the O═N-N═O moiety to give a Ru(III)Ru(III) core and a hyponitrite (O-N═N-O)(2-) species. The formation of the hyponitrite species provides an alternative pathway for the N2O2 reorientation, resulting in the lower activation energies in the presence of proton(s). The protonation also has a marginal effect on the O-N bond cleavage and the N2O elimination steps. Our calculations reveal a remarkable role of protons in the NO reduction via N2O formation and provide new insights into the mechanism of NO reduction catalyzed by metalloenzymes such as nitric oxide reductase (NOR) that contains a diiron active site.

An electrogenic nitric oxide reductase

Nitric oxide reductases (Nors) are members of the heme-copper oxidase superfamily that reduce nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide (N₂O). In contrast to the proton-pumping cytochrome oxidases, Nors studied so far have neither been implicated in proton pumping nor have they been experimentally established as electrogenic. The copper-A-dependent Nor from Bacillus azotoformans uses cytochrome c₅₅₁ as electron donor but lacks menaquinol activity, in contrast to our earlier report (Suharti et al., 2001). Employing reduced phenazine ethosulfate (PESH) as electron donor, the main NO reduction pathway catalyzed by Cu(A)Nor reconstituted in liposomes involves transmembrane cycling of the PES radical. We show that Cu(A)Nor reconstituted in liposomes generates a proton electrochemical gradient across the membrane similar in magnitude to cytochrome aa₃, highlighting that bacilli using Cu(A)Nor can exploit NO reduction for increased cellular ATP production compared to organisms using cNor.

The nitric-oxide reductase from Paracoccus denitrificans uses a single specific proton pathway

The NO reductase from Paracoccus denitrificans reduces NO to N2O (2NO + 2H(+) + 2e(-) → N2O + H2O) with electrons donated by periplasmic cytochrome c (cytochrome c-dependent NO reductase; cNOR). cNORs are members of the heme-copper oxidase superfamily of integral membrane proteins, comprising the O2-reducing, proton-pumping respiratory enzymes. In contrast, although NO reduction is as exergonic as O2 reduction, there are no protons pumped in cNOR, and in addition, protons needed for NO reduction are derived from the periplasmic solution (no contribution to the electrochemical gradient is made). cNOR thus only needs to transport protons from the periplasm into the active site without the requirement to control the timing of opening and closing (gating) of proton pathways as is needed in a proton pump. Based on the crystal structure of a closely related cNOR and molecular dynamics simulations, several proton transfer pathways were suggested, and in principle, these could all be functional. In this work, we show that residues in one of the suggested pathways (denoted pathway 1) are sensitive to site-directed mutation, whereas residues in the other proposed pathways (pathways 2 and 3) could be exchanged without severe effects on turnover activity with either NO or O2. We further show that electron transfer during single-turnover reduction of O2 is limited by proton transfer and can thus be used to study alterations in proton transfer rates. The exchange of residues along pathway 1 showed specific slowing of this proton-coupled electron transfer as well as changes in its pH dependence. Our results indicate that only pathway 1 is used to transfer protons in cNOR.

Characterization of the nitric oxide reductase from Thermus thermophilus

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas implicated in climate change. The dominant source of atmospheric N2O is incomplete biological dentrification, and the enzymes responsible for the release of N2O are NO reductases. It was recently reported that ambient emissions of N2O from the Great Boiling Spring in the United States Great Basin are high, and attributed to incomplete denitrification by Thermus thermophilus and related bacterial species [Hedlund BP, et al. (2011) Geobiology 9(6)471-480]. In the present work, we have isolated and characterized the NO reductase (NOR) from T. thermophilus. The enzyme is a member of the cNOR family of enzymes and belongs to a phylogenetic clade that is distinct from previously examined cNORs. Like other characterized cNORs, the T. thermophilus cNOR consists of two subunits, NorB and NorC, and contains a one heme c, one Ca(2+), a low-spin heme b, and an active site consisting of a high-spin heme b and FeB. The roles of conserved residues within the cNOR family were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. The most important and unexpected result is that the glutamic acid ligand to FeB is not essential for function. The E211A mutant retains 68% of wild-type activity. Mutagenesis data and the pattern of conserved residues suggest that there is probably not a single pathway for proton delivery from the periplasm to the active site that is shared by all cNORs, and that there may be multiple pathways within the T. thermophilus cNOR.

Rational heme protein design: all roads lead to Rome

Heme proteins are among the most abundant and important metalloproteins, exerting diverse biological functions including oxygen transport, small molecule sensing, selective C-H bond activation, nitrite reduction, and electron transfer. Rational heme protein designs focus on the modification of the heme-binding active site and the heme group, protein hybridization and domain swapping, and de novo design. These strategies not only provide us with unique advantages for illustrating the structure-property-reactivity-function (SPRF) relationship of heme proteins in nature but also endow us with the ability to create novel biocatalysts and biosensors.

Denitrification and aerobic respiration, hybrid electron transport chains and co-evolution

This paper explores the bioenergetics and potential co-evolution of denitrification and aerobic respiration. The advantages and disadvantages of combining these two pathways in a single, hybrid respiratory chain are discussed and the experimental evidence for the co-respiration of nitrate and oxygen is critically reviewed. A scenario for the co-evolution of the two pathways is presented. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The evolutionary aspects of bioenergetic systems.

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal proton transfer pathways in cytochrome C-dependent nitric oxide reductase

Nitric oxide reductases (NORs) are membrane proteins that catalyze the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide (N₂O), which is a critical step of the nitrate respiration process in denitrifying bacteria. Using the recently determined first crystal structure of the cytochrome c-dependent NOR (cNOR) [Hino T, Matsumoto Y, Nagano S, Sugimoto H, Fukumori Y, et al. (2010) Structural basis of biological N2O generation by bacterial nitric oxide reductase. Science 330: 1666–70.], we performed extensive all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of cNOR within an explicit membrane/solvent environment to fully characterize water distribution and dynamics as well as hydrogen-bonded networks inside the protein, yielding the atomic details of functionally important proton channels. Simulations reveal two possible proton transfer pathways leading from the periplasm to the active site, while no pathways from the cytoplasmic side were found, consistently with the experimental observations that cNOR is not a proton pump. One of the pathways, which was newly identified in the MD simulation, is blocked in the crystal structure and requires small structural rearrangements to allow for water channel formation. That pathway is equivalent to the functional periplasmic cavity postulated in cbb₃ oxidase, which illustrates that the two enzymes share some elements of the proton transfer mechanisms and confirms a close evolutionary relation between NORs and C-type oxidases. Several mechanisms of the critical proton transfer steps near the catalytic center are proposed.

Denitrification is an anaerobic process performed by several bacteria as an alternative to aerobic respiration. A key intermediate step is catalyzed by the nitric oxide reductase (NOR) enzyme, which is situated in the cytoplasmic membrane. Proton delivery to the catalytic site inside NOR is an important part of its functioning. In this work we use molecular dynamics simulations to describe water distribution and to identify proton transfer pathways in cNOR. Our results reveal two channels from the periplasmic side of the membrane and none from the cytoplasmic side, indicating that cNOR is not a proton pump. It is our hope that these results will provide a basis for further experimental and computational studies aimed to understand details of the NOR mechanism. Furthermore, this work sheds light on the molecular evolution of respiratory enzymes.

Bacterial oxygen production in the dark

Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) are among nature's most powerful electron acceptors. In recent years it became clear that microorganisms can take advantage of the oxidizing power of these compounds to degrade aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. For two unrelated bacterial species, the "NC10" phylum bacterium "Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera" and the γ-proteobacterial strain HdN1 it has been suggested that under anoxic conditions with nitrate and/or nitrite, monooxygenases are used for methane and hexadecane oxidation, respectively. No degradation was observed with nitrous oxide only. Similarly, "aerobic" pathways for hydrocarbon degradation are employed by (per)chlorate-reducing bacteria, which are known to produce oxygen from chlorite [Formula: see text]. In the anaerobic methanotroph M. oxyfera, which lacks identifiable enzymes for nitrogen formation, substrate activation in the presence of nitrite was directly associated with both oxygen and nitrogen formation. These findings strongly argue for the role of NO, or an oxygen species derived from it, in the activation reaction of methane. Although oxygen generation elegantly explains the utilization of "aerobic" pathways under anoxic conditions, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. In this perspective, we review the current knowledge about intra-aerobic pathways, their potential presence in other organisms, and identify candidate enzymes related to quinol-dependent NO reductases (qNORs) that might be involved in the formation of oxygen.

Proton transfer in the quinol-dependent nitric oxide reductase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus during reduction of oxygen

Bacterial nitric oxide reductases (NOR) are integral membrane proteins that catalyse the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide, often as a step in the process of denitrification. Most functional data has been obtained with NORs that receive their electrons from a soluble cytochrome c in the periplasm and are hence termed cNOR. Very recently, the structure of a different type of NOR, the quinol-dependent (q)-NOR from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus was solved to atomic resolution [Y. Matsumoto, T. Tosha, A.V. Pisliakov, T. Hino, H. Sugimoto, S. Nagano, Y. Sugita and Y. Shiro, Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 19 (2012) 238-246]. In this study, we have investigated the reaction between this qNOR and oxygen. Our results show that, like some cNORs, the G. stearothermophilus qNOR is capable of O(2) reduction with a turnover of ~3electronss(-1) at 40°C. Furthermore, using the so-called flow-flash technique, we show that the fully reduced (with three available electrons) qNOR reacts with oxygen in a reaction with a time constant of 1.8ms that oxidises the low-spin heme b. This reaction is coupled to proton uptake from solution and presumably forms a ferryl intermediate at the active site. The pH dependence of the reaction is markedly different from a corresponding reaction in cNOR from Paracoccus denitrificans, indicating that possibly the proton uptake mechanism and/or pathway differs between qNOR and cNOR. This study furthermore forms the basis for investigation of the proton transfer pathway in qNOR using both variants with putative proton transfer elements modified and measurements of the vectorial nature of the proton transfer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 17th European Bioenergetics Conference (EBEC 2012).

Bacterial adaptation of respiration from oxic to microoxic and anoxic conditions: redox control

Under a shortage of oxygen, bacterial growth can be faced mainly by two ATP-generating mechanisms: (i) by synthesis of specific high-affinity terminal oxidases that allow bacteria to use traces of oxygen or (ii) by utilizing other substrates as final electron acceptors such as nitrate, which can be reduced to dinitrogen gas through denitrification or to ammonium. This bacterial respiratory shift from oxic to microoxic and anoxic conditions requires a regulatory strategy which ensures that cells can sense and respond to changes in oxygen tension and to the availability of other electron acceptors. Bacteria can sense oxygen by direct interaction of this molecule with a membrane protein receptor (e.g., FixL) or by interaction with a cytoplasmic transcriptional factor (e.g., Fnr). A third type of oxygen perception is based on sensing changes in redox state of molecules within the cell. Redox-responsive regulatory systems (e.g., ArcBA, RegBA/PrrBA, RoxSR, RegSR, ActSR, ResDE, and Rex) integrate the response to multiple signals (e.g., ubiquinone, menaquinone, redox active cysteine, electron transport to terminal oxidases, and NAD/NADH) and activate or repress target genes to coordinate the adaptation of bacterial respiration from oxic to anoxic conditions. Here, we provide a compilation of the current knowledge about proteins and regulatory networks involved in the redox control of the respiratory adaptation of different bacterial species to microxic and anoxic environments.

Structure and function of bacterial nitric oxide reductases: nitric oxide reductase, anaerobic enzymes

The crystal structures of bacterial nitric oxide reductases (NOR) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Geobacillus stearothermophilus were reported. The structural characteristics of these enzymes, especially at the catalytic site and on the pathway that catalytic protons are delivered, are compared, and the corresponding regions of aerobic and micro-aerobic cytochrome oxidases, O(2) reducing enzymes, which are evolutionarily related to NOR are discussed. On the basis of these structural comparisons, a mechanism for the reduction of NO to produce N(2)O by NOR, and the possible molecular evolution of the proton pumping ability of the respiratory enzymes is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 17th European Bioenergetics Conference (EBEC 2012).

Molecular structure and function of bacterial nitric oxide reductase

The crystal structure of the membrane-integrated nitric oxide reductase cNOR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined. The smaller NorC subunit of cNOR is comprised of 1 trans-membrane helix and a hydrophilic domain, where the heme c is located, while the larger NorB subunit consists of 12 trans-membrane helices, which contain heme b and the catalytically active binuclear center (heme b(3) and non-heme Fe(B)). The roles of the 5 well-conserved glutamates in NOR are discussed, based on the recently solved structure. Glu211 and Glu280 appear to play an important role in the catalytic reduction of NO at the binuclear center by functioning as a terminal proton donor, while Glu215 probably contributes to the electro-negative environment of the catalytic center. Glu135, a ligand for Ca(2+) sandwiched between two heme propionates from heme b and b(3), and the nearby Glu138 appears to function as a structural factor in maintaining a protein conformation that is suitable for electron-coupled proton transfer from the periplasmic region to the active site. On the basis of these observations, the possible molecular mechanism for the reduction of NO by cNOR is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Respiratory Oxidases.

Low-spin heme b(3) in the catalytic center of nitric oxide reductase from Pseudomonas nautica

Respiratory nitric oxide reductase (NOR) was purified from membrane extract of Pseudomonas (Ps.) nautica cells to homogeneity as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified protein is a heterodimer with subunits of molecular masses of 54 and 18 kDa. The gene encoding both subunits was cloned and sequenced. The amino acid sequence shows strong homology with enzymes of the cNOR class. Iron/heme determinations show that one heme c is present in the small subunit (NORC) and that approximately two heme b and one non-heme iron are associated with the large subunit (NORB), in agreement with the available data for enzymes of the cNOR class. Mössbauer characterization of the as-purified, ascorbate-reduced, and dithionite-reduced enzyme confirms the presence of three heme groups (the catalytic heme b(3) and the electron transfer heme b and heme c) and one redox-active non-heme Fe (Fe(B)). Consistent with results obtained for other cNORs, heme c and heme b in Ps. nautica cNOR were found to be low-spin while Fe(B) was found to be high-spin. Unexpectedly, as opposed to the presumed high-spin state for heme b(3), the Mössbauer data demonstrate unambiguously that heme b(3) is, in fact, low-spin in both ferric and ferrous states, suggesting that heme b(3) is six-coordinated regardless of its oxidation state. EPR spectroscopic measurements of the as-purified enzyme show resonances at the g ∼ 6 and g ∼ 2-3 regions very similar to those reported previously for other cNORs. The signals at g = 3.60, 2.99, 2.26, and 1.43 are attributed to the two charge-transfer low-spin ferric heme c and heme b. Previously, resonances at the g ∼ 6 region were assigned to a small quantity of uncoupled high-spin Fe(III) heme b(3). This assignment is now questionable because heme b(3) is low-spin. On the basis of our spectroscopic data, we argue that the g = 6.34 signal is likely arising from a spin-spin coupled binuclear center comprising the low-spin Fe(III) heme b(3) and the high-spin Fe(B)(III). Activity assays performed under various reducing conditions indicate that heme b(3) has to be reduced for the enzyme to be active. But, from an energetic point of view, the formation of a ferrous heme-NO as an initial reaction intermediate for NO reduction is disfavored because heme [FeNO](7) is a stable product. We suspect that the presence of a sixth ligand in the Fe(II)-heme b(3) may weaken its affinity for NO and thus promotes, in the first catalytic step, binding of NO at the Fe(B)(II) site. The function of heme b(3) would then be to orient the Fe(B)-bound NO molecules for the formation of the N-N bond and to provide reducing equivalents for NO reduction.

Structural basis of biological N2O generation by bacterial nitric oxide reductase

Nitric oxide reductase (NOR) is an iron-containing enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to generate a major greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N(2)O). Here, we report the crystal structure of NOR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 2.7 angstrom resolution. The structure reveals details of the catalytic binuclear center. The non-heme iron (Fe(B)) is coordinated by three His and one Glu ligands, but a His-Tyr covalent linkage common in cytochrome oxidases (COX) is absent. This structural characteristic is crucial for NOR reaction. Although the overall structure of NOR is closely related to COX, neither the D- nor K-proton pathway, which connect the COX active center to the intracellular space, was observed. Protons required for the NOR reaction are probably provided from the extracellular side.

Bioinspired heme, heme/nonheme diiron, heme/copper, and inorganic NOx chemistry: *NO((g)) oxidation, peroxynitrite-metal chemistry, and *NO((g)) reductive coupling

The focus of this Forum Article highlights work from our own laboratories and those of others in the area of biochemical and biologically inspired inorganic chemistry dealing with nitric oxide [nitrogen monoxide, *NO((g))] and its biological roles and reactions. The latter focus is on (i) oxidation of *NO((g)) to nitrate by nitric oxide dioxygenases (NODs) and (ii) reductive coupling of two molecules of *NO((g)) to give N(2)O(g). In the former case, NODs are described, and the highlighting of possible peroxynitrite/heme intermediates and the consequences of this are given by a discussion of recent works with myoglobin and a synthetic heme model system for NOD action. Summaries of recent copper complex chemistries with *NO((g)) and O(2)(g), leading to peroxynitrite species, are given. The coverage of biological reductive coupling of *NO((g)) deals with bacterial nitric oxide reductases (NORs) with heme/nonheme diiron active sites and on heme/copper oxidases such as cytochrome c oxidase, which can mediate the same chemistry. Recently designed protein and synthetic model compounds (heme/nonheme/diiron or heme/copper) as functional mimics are discussed in some detail. We also highlight examples from the chemical literature, not necessarily involving biologically relevant metal ions, that describe the oxidation of *NO((g)) to nitrate (or nitrite) and possible peroxynitrite intermediates or reductive coupling of *NO((g)) to give nitrous oxide.

Substrate control of internal electron transfer in bacterial nitric-oxide reductase

Nitric -oxide reductase (NOR) from Paracoccus denitrificans catalyzes the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide (N(2)O) (2NO + 2H(+) + 2e(-) -->N(2)O + H(2)O) by a poorly understood mechanism. NOR contains two low spin hemes c and b, one high spin heme b(3), and a non-heme iron Fe(B). Here, we have studied the reaction between fully reduced NOR and NO using the "flow-flash" technique. Fully (four-electron) reduced NOR is capable of two turnovers with NO. Initial binding of NO to reduced heme b(3) occurs with a time constant of approximately 1 micros at 1.5 mM NO, in agreement with earlier studies. This reaction is [NO]-dependent, ruling out an obligatory binding of NO to Fe(B) before ligation to heme b(3). Oxidation of hemes b and c occurs in a biphasic reaction with rate constants of 50 s(-1) and 3 s(-1) at 1.5 mM NO and pH 7.5. Interestingly, this oxidation is accelerated as [NO] is lowered; the rate constants are 120 s(-1) and 12 s(-1) at 75 microM NO. Protons are taken up from solution concomitantly with oxidation of the low spin hemes, leading to an acceleration at low pH. This effect is, however, counteracted by a larger degree of substrate inhibition at low pH. Our data thus show that substrate inhibition in NOR, previously observed during multiple turnovers, already occurs during a single oxidative cycle. Thus, NO must bind to its inhibitory site before electrons redistribute to the active site. The further implications of our data for the mechanism of NO reduction by NOR are discussed.

Roles of glutamates and metal ions in a rationally designed nitric oxide reductase based on myoglobin

A structural and functional model of bacterial nitric oxide reductase (NOR) has been designed by introducing two glutamates (Glu) and three histidines (His) in sperm whale myoglobin. X-ray structural data indicate that the three His and one Glu (V68E) residues bind iron, mimicking the putative Fe(B) site in NOR, while the second Glu (I107E) interacts with a water molecule and forms a hydrogen bonding network in the designed protein. Unlike the first Glu (V68E), which lowered the heme reduction potential by approximately 110 mV, the second Glu has little effect on the heme potential, suggesting that the negatively charged Glu has a different role in redox tuning. More importantly, introducing the second Glu resulted in a approximately 100% increase in NOR activity, suggesting the importance of a hydrogen bonding network in facilitating proton delivery during NOR reactivity. In addition, EPR and X-ray structural studies indicate that the designed protein binds iron, copper, or zinc in the Fe(B) site, each with different effects on the structures and NOR activities, suggesting that both redox activity and an intermediate five-coordinate heme-NO species are important for high NOR activity. The designed protein offers an excellent model for NOR and demonstrates the power of using designed proteins as a simpler and more well-defined system to address important chemical and biological issues.