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Review
. 2005 Jan;187(2):405-14.
doi: 10.1128/JB.187.2.405-414.2005.

Maturation of nitrogenase: a biochemical puzzle

Luis M Rubio  1 , Paul W Ludden
Affiliations
Review

Maturation of nitrogenase: a biochemical puzzle

Luis M Rubio et al. J Bacteriol. 2005 Jan.
No abstract available

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Metal clusters of the nitrogenase MoFe protein. (A) FeMo-co and (B) the P-cluster in the reduced state. The amino acid ligands to FeMo-co are shown (α-Cys275 and α-His442). The central atom in the cavity of FeMo-co is colored as nitrogen. For the P-cluster, only the bridging cysteinyl ligands are shown (α-Cys88 and β-Cys95). Atoms are colored as follows: iron, magenta; molybdenum, grey; sulfur, yellow; carbon, green; oxygen, red; and nitrogen, blue.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Nitrogenase component proteins. (A) α2β2 tetrameric A. vinelandii nitrogenase MoFe protein. α subunits are blue and green, and β subunits are red and orange. (B) Detail of one of the α subunits of the MoFe protein showing the positions of domains I (blue), II (light blue), and III (dark blue). (C) A. vinelandii nitrogenase Fe protein (subunits in blue and green). Atoms are colored as follows:: iron, magenta; molybdenum, grey; sulfur, yellow; carbon, green; and oxygen, red.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Model for the maturation of the nitrogenase MoFe protein. The α (NifD), β (NifK), and γ (NafY) subunits of the apo-MoFe protein are represented as oval, rectangle, and octagon cartoons, respectively. Step 1 (indicated by the arrow labeled 1) is the initial loading of the α2β2 tetramer with two pairs of [4Fe-4S] clusters. Note that the FeMo-co sites within the α subunits are not accessible. Step 2 is the formation of the P-clusters and “opening” of the FeMo-co-binding sites. Step 3 is the attachment of NafY and stabilization of the open conformation. The arrow to the right of step 2 indicates that in the absence of NafY and FeMo-co, a significant percentage of the open sites is lost (50% in A. vinelandii and 95% in K. pneumoniae apo-MoFe proteins). Step 4 is the FeMo-co insertion, dissociation of NafY, and generation of mature MoFe protein.
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References

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