Spectroscopic and redox studies of valence-delocalized [Fe2S2](+) centers in thioredoxin-like ferredoxins.

Reduced forms of the C56S and C60S variants of the thioredoxin-like Clostridium pasteurianum [Fe2S2] ferredoxin (CpFd) provide the only known examples of valence-delocalized [Fe2S2](+) clusters, which constitute a fundamental building block of all higher nuclearity Fe-S clusters. In this work, we have revisited earlier work on the CpFd variants and carried out redox and spectroscopic studies on the [Fe2S2](2+,+) centers in wild-type and equivalent variants of the highly homologous and structurally characterized Aquifex aeolicus ferredoxin 4 (AaeFd4) using EPR, UV-visible-NIR absorption, CD and variable-temperature MCD, and protein-film electrochemistry. The results indicate that the [Fe2S2](+) centers in the equivalent AaeFd4 and CpFd variants reversibly interconvert between similar valence-localized S = 1/2 and valence-delocalized S = 9/2 forms as a function of pH, with pKa values in the range 8.3-9.0, because of protonation of the coordinated serinate residue. However, freezing high-pH samples results in partial or full conversion from valence-delocalized S = 9/2 to valence-localized S = 1/2 [Fe2S2](+) clusters. MCD saturation magnetization data for valence-delocalized S = 9/2 [Fe2S2](+) centers facilitated determination of transition polarizations and thereby assignments of low-energy MCD bands associated with the Fe-Fe interaction. The assignments provide experimental assessment of the double exchange parameter, B, for valence-delocalized [Fe2S2](+) centers and demonstrate that variable-temperature MCD spectroscopy provides a means of detecting and investigating the properties of valence-delocalized S = 9/2 [Fe2S2](+) fragments in higher nuclearity Fe-S clusters. The origin of valence delocalization in thioredoxin-like ferredoxin Cys-to-Ser variants and Fe-S clusters in general is discussed in light of these results.

EPR and (57)Fe ENDOR investigation of 2Fe ferredoxins from Aquifex aeolicus.

We have employed EPR and a set of recently developed electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopies to characterize a suite of [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin clusters from Aquifex aeolicus (Aae Fd1, Fd4, and Fd5). Antiferromagnetic coupling between the Fe(II), S = 2, and Fe(III), S = 5/2, sites of the [2Fe-2S](+) cluster in these proteins creates an S = 1/2 ground state. A complete discussion of the spin-Hamiltonian contributions to g includes new symmetry arguments along with references to related FeS model compounds and their symmetry and EPR properties. Complete (57)Fe hyperfine coupling (hfc) tensors for each iron, with respective orientations relative to g, have been determined by the use of "stochastic" continuous wave and/or "random hopped" pulsed ENDOR, with the relative utility of the two approaches being emphasized. The reported hyperfine tensors include absolute signs determined by a modified pulsed ENDOR saturation and recovery (PESTRE) technique, RD-PESTRE-a post-processing protocol of the "raw data" that comprises an ENDOR spectrum. The (57)Fe hyperfine tensor components found by ENDOR are nicely consistent with those previously found by Mössbauer spectroscopy, while accurate tensor orientations are unique to the ENDOR approach. These measurements demonstrate the capabilities of the newly developed methods. The high-precision hfc tensors serve as a benchmark for this class of FeS proteins, while the variation in the (57)Fe hfc tensors as a function of symmetry in these small FeS clusters provides a reference for higher-nuclearity FeS clusters, such as those found in nitrogenase.

Dynamics of Rhodobacter capsulatus [2FE-2S] ferredoxin VI and Aquifex aeolicus ferredoxin 5 via nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and resonance Raman spectroscopy.

We have used (57)Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) to study the Fe(2)S(2)(Cys)(4) sites in oxidized and reduced [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins from Rhodobacter capsulatus (Rc FdVI) and Aquifex aeolicus (Aa Fd5). In the oxidized forms, nearly identical NRVS patterns are observed, with strong bands from Fe-S stretching modes peaking around 335 cm(-1), and additional features observed as high as the B(2u) mode at approximately 421 cm(-1). Both forms of Rc FdVI have also been investigated by resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy. There is good correspondence between NRVS and Raman frequencies, but because of different selection rules, intensities vary dramatically between the two kinds of spectra. For example, the B(3u) mode at approximately 288 cm(-1), attributed to an asymmetric combination of the two FeS(4) breathing modes, is often the strongest resonance Raman feature. In contrast, it is nearly invisible in the NRVS, as there is almost no Fe motion in such FeS(4) breathing. NRVS and RR analysis of isotope shifts with (36)S-substituted into bridging S(2-) ions in Rc FdVI allowed quantitation of S(2-) motion in different normal modes. We observed the symmetric Fe-Fe stretching mode at approximately 190 cm(-1) in both NRVS and RR spectra. At still lower energies, the NRVS presents a complex envelope of bending, torsion, and protein modes, with a maximum at 78 cm(-1). The (57)Fe partial vibrational densities of states (PVDOS) were interpreted by normal-mode analysis with optimization of Urey-Bradley force fields. Progressively more complex D(2h) Fe(2)S(2)S'(4), C(2h) Fe(2)S(2)(SCC)(4), and C(1) Fe(2)S(2)(Cys)(4) models were optimized by comparison with the experimental spectra. After modification of the CHARMM22 all-atom force field by the addition of refined Fe-S force constants, a simulation employing the complete protein structure was used to reproduce the PVDOS, with better results in the low frequency protein mode region. This process was then repeated for analysis of data on the reduced FdVI. Finally, the degree of collectivity was used to quantitate the delocalization of the dynamic properties of the redox-active Fe site. The NRVS technique demonstrates great promise for the observation and quantitative interpretation of the dynamical properties of Fe-S proteins.

Iron-sulfur protein folds, iron-sulfur chemistry, and evolution.

An inventory of unique local protein folds around Fe-S clusters has been derived from the analysis of protein structure databases. Nearly 50 such folds have been identified, and over 90% of them harbor low-potential [2Fe-2S](2+,+) or [4Fe-4S](2+,+) clusters. In contrast, high-potential Fe-S clusters, notwithstanding their structural diversity, occur in only three different protein folds. These observations suggest that the extant population of Fe-S protein folds has to a large extent been shaped in the reducing iron- and sulfur-rich environment that is believed to have predominated on this planet until approximately two billion years ago. High-potential active sites are then surmised to be rarer because they emerged later, in a more oxidizing biosphere, in conditions where iron and sulfide had become poorly available, Fe-S clusters were less stable, and in addition faced competition from heme iron and copper active sites. Among the low-potential Fe-S active sites, protein folds hosting [4Fe-4S](2+,+) clusters outnumber those with [2Fe-2S](2+,+) ones by a factor of 3 at least. This is in keeping with the higher chemical stability and versatility of the tetranuclear clusters, compared with the binuclear ones. It is therefore suggested that, at least while novel Fe-S sites are evolving within proteins, the intrinsic chemical stability of the inorganic moiety may be more important than the stabilizing effect of the polypeptide chain. The discovery rate of novel Fe-S-containing protein folds underwent a sharp increase around 1995, and has remained stable to this day. The current trend suggests that the mapping of the Fe-S fold space is not near completion, in agreement with predictions made for protein folds in general. Altogether, the data collected and analyzed here suggest that the extant structural landscape of Fe-S proteins has been shaped to a large extent by primeval geochemical conditions on one hand, and iron-sulfur chemistry on the other.

Miraculous catch of iron-sulfur protein sequences in the Sargasso Sea.

Recent shotgun sequencing of filtered Sargasso Sea water samples has yielded data in astounding amount and diversity. Iron-sulfur proteins, which are ancient, diverse and ubiquitous, have been implemented here to further probe the sequence diversity of the Sargasso Sea database (SSDB). Sequence searches and comparisons confirm that the SSDB by and large equals in diversity the combined currently available databases. The data thus suggest that microbial diversity has so far been underestimated by orders of magnitude.

An Isc-type extremely thermostable [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from Aquifex aeolicus. Biochemical, spectroscopic, and unfolding studies.

Analysis of the genome of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus has revealed the presence of a previously undetected gene potentially encoding a plant- and mammalian-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin. Expression of that gene in Escherichia coli has yielded a novel thermostable [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (designated ferredoxin 5) whose sequence is most similar to those of ferredoxins involved in the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters (Isc-Fd). It nevertheless differs from the latter proteins by having deletions near its N- and C-termini, and no cysteine residues other than those involved in [2Fe-2S] cluster coordination. Resonance Raman, low-temperature MCD and EPR studies show close spectral similarities between ferredoxin 5 and the Isc-Fd from Azotobacter vinelandii. Mössbauer spectra of the reduced protein were analyzed with an S = 1/2 spin Hamiltonian and interpreted in the framework of the ligand field model proposed by Bertrand and Gayda. The redox potential of A. aeolicus ferredoxin 5 (-390 mV) is in keeping with its relatedness to Isc-Fd. Unfolding experiments showed that A. aeolicus ferredoxin 5 is highly thermostable (T(m) = 106 degrees C at pH 7), despite being devoid of features (e.g., high content of charged residues) usually associated with extreme thermal stability. Searches for genes potentially encoding plant-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins have been performed on the sequenced genomes of hyperthermophilic organisms. None other than the two proteins from A. aeolicus were retrieved, indicating that this otherwise widely distributed group of proteins is barely represented among hyperthermophiles.

Exceptional stability of a [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus.

Aquifex aeolicus is the only hyperthermophile that is known to contain a plant- and mammalian-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Aae Fd1). This unique protein contains two cysteines, in addition to the four that act as ligands of the [2Fe-2S] cluster, which form a disulfide bridge. We have investigated the stability of Aae Fd1 with (wild-type) and without (C87A variant) the disulfide bond, with respect to pH, thermal and chemical perturbation, and compared the results to those for the mesophilic [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from spinach. Unfolding reactions of all three proteins are irreversible due to cluster decomposition in the unfolded state. Wild-type and C87A Aae Fd1 proteins are extremely stable: unfolding at 20 degrees C requires high concentrations of the chemical denaturant and long incubation times. Moreover, their thermal-unfolding midpoints are 40-50 degrees higher than that for spinach ferredoxin (pH 7). The stability of the Aae Fd1 protein is significantly lower at pH 2.5 than pH 7 and 10, suggesting that ionic interactions play a role in structural integrity. Interestingly, the iron-sulfur cluster in C87A Aae Fd1 rearranges into a transient species with absorption bands at 520 and 610 nm, presumably a linear three-iron cluster, in the high-pH unfolded state.

Mössbauer study of reduced rubredoxin as purified and in whole cells. Structural correlation analysis of spin Hamiltonian parameters.

The [Fe(II)(Cys)(4)](2-) site of rubredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum (Rd(red)) has been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy in both purified protein and whole cells of Escherichia coli overproducing it. Excellent fits were obtained to an S = 2 spin Hamiltonian for D = 5.7(3) cm(-1), E/D = 0.25(2), delta = 0.70(3) mm/s, DeltaE(Q) = -3.25(2) mm/s, eta = 0.75(5), A(x) = -20.1(7) MHz, A(y) = -11.3(2) MHz, and A(z) = -33.4(14) MHz. These parameters were analyzed with crystal-field theory for the (5)D manifold of iron(II), revealing a d(z(2)) orbital ground state that is admixed by approximately 0.21 d(x(2) - y(2)). The spin-Hamiltonian parameters are consistent within the (5)D theory, apart from the zero-field splitting parameter, D. This problem was solved by extending the crystal-field treatment with spin-orbit coupling to spin-triplet d-d excited states of the iron. Theoretical estimates are given for the spin-triplet (D(T)) and spin-quintet contributions (D(Q)) to D based on excitation energies derived from time-dependent density functional theory, TD-DFT. The computational results were interpreted in terms of crystal-field theory, yielding the Racah parameters B = 682 cm(-1) and C = 2583 cm(-1). The theoretical analysis gives the relative magnitudes D(Q):D(T):D(ss) = 51%: 42%:7% (D(ss) originates from spin-spin interaction). The DFT analysis corroborates the pivotal role of the torsion angles (omega(i)) of the C-S(i) bonds in shaping the electronic structure of the iron(II) site. Rd(red) in overexpressing whole cells accounts for 60% of the Mössbauer absorption. The Rd(red) spectra from whole cells are virtually identical to those of the purified protein. By using the theoretical omega dependence of the spin Hamiltonian parameters, the torsions for Rd(red) in whole cells and purified protein samples are estimated to be the same within 2 degrees. These findings establish Mössbauer spectroscopy as a structural tool for investigating iron sites in whole cells.

High resolution crystal structures of the wild type and Cys-55-->Ser and Cys-59-->Ser variants of the thioredoxin-like [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from Aquifex aeolicus.

The [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Fd4) from Aquifex aeolicus adopts a thioredoxin-like polypeptide fold that is distinct from other [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins. Crystal structures of the Cys-55 --> Ser (C55S) and Cys-59 --> Ser (C59S) variants of this protein have been determined to 1.25 A and 1.05 A resolution, respectively, whereas the resolution of the wild type (WT) has been extended to 1.5 A. The improved WT structure provides a detailed description of the [2Fe-2S] cluster, including two features that have not been noted previously in any [2Fe-2S] cluster-containing protein, namely, pronounced distortions in the cysteine coordination to the cluster and a Calpha-H-Sgamma hydrogen bond between cluster ligands Cys-55 and Cys-9. These features may contribute to the unusual electronic and magnetic properties of the [2Fe-2S] clusters in WT and variants of this ferredoxin. The structures of the two variants of Fd4, in which single cysteine ligands to the [2Fe-2S] cluster are replaced by serine, establish the metric details of serine-ligated Fe-S active sites with unprecedented accuracy. Both the cluster and its surrounding protein matrix change in subtle ways to accommodate this ligand substitution, particularly in terms of distortions of the Fe(2)S(2) inorganic core from planarity and displacements of the polypeptide chain. These high resolution structures illustrate how the interactions between polypeptide chains and Fe-S active sites reflect combinations of flexibility and rigidity on the part of both partners; these themes are also evident in more complex systems, as exemplified by changes associated with serine ligation of the nitrogenase P cluster.

A hyperthermophilic plant-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from Aquifex aeolicus is stabilized by a disulfide bond.

A [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Fd1) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus has been obtained by heterologous expression of the encoding gene in Escherichia coli. Sequence comparisons show that this protein belongs to the extended family of plant- and mammalian-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins but also indicate that it is not closely similar to either the plant-type or mammalian-type subfamilies. Instead, it appears to bear some similarity to novel members of this family, in particular the Isc-type ferredoxins involved in the assembly of iron-sulfur clusters in vivo. The two redox levels of the [2Fe-2S](2+/+) metal site of A. aeolicus ferredoxin have been studied by UV-visible, resonance Raman, EPR, variable temperature magnetic circular dichroism, and Mössbauer spectroscopies. A full-spin Hamiltonian analysis is given for the Mössbauer spectra. In aggregate, the spectroscopic data reveal differences with both the plant-type and mammalian-type ferredoxins, in keeping with the sequence comparisons. The midpoint potential of the [2Fe-2S](2+/+) couple, at -375 mV versus the normal hydrogen electrode, is more negative than those of mammalian-type ferredoxins and at the upper end of the range covered by plant-type ferredoxins. A. aeolicus ferredoxin contains two cysteines in addition to the four that are committed as ligands of the [2Fe-2S] cluster. These two residues have been shown by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis to form a disulfide bridge in the native protein. While that cystine unit plays a significant role in the exceptional thermostability of A. aeolicus ferredoxin (T(m) = 121 degrees C at pH 7 versus T(m) = 113 degrees C in a molecular variant where the disulfide bridge has been removed), it does not bear on the properties of the [2Fe-2S](2+/+) chromophore. This observation is consistent with the large distance (ca. 20 A) that is predicted to separate the iron-sulfur chromophore from the disulfide bridge.

An NADH-dependent bacterial thioredoxin reductase-like protein in conjunction with a glutaredoxin homologue form a unique peroxiredoxin (AhpC) reducing system in Clostridium pasteurianum.

Many eubacterial genomes including those of Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus mutans, and Thermus aquaticus encode a dedicated flavoprotein reductase (AhpF, Nox1, or PrxR) just downstream of the structural gene for their peroxiredoxin (Prx, AhpC) homologue to reduce the latter protein during turnover. In contrast, the obligate anaerobe Clostridium pasteurianum codes for a two-component reducing system upstream of the ahpC homologue. These three structural genes, herein designated cp34, cp9, and cp20, were previously identified upstream of the rubredoxin gene in C. pasteurianum, but were not linked to expression of the latter gene [Mathieu, I., and Meyer, J. (1993) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 112, 223-227]. cp34, cp9, and cp20 have been expressed in Escherichia coli, and their products have been purified and characterized. Cp34 and Cp9 together catalyze the NADH-dependent reduction of Cp20 to effect the reduction of various hydroperoxide substrates. Cp34, containing noncovalently bound FAD and a redox-active disulfide center, is an unusual member of the low-M(r) thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) family. Like Escherichia coli TrxR, Cp34 lacks the 200-residue N-terminal AhpC-reducing domain present in S. typhimurium AhpF. Although Cp34 is more similar to TrxR than to AhpF in sequence comparisons of the nucleotide-binding domains, experiments demonstrated that NADH was the preferred reductant (Km = 2.65 microM). Cp9 (a distant relative of bacterial glutaredoxins) is a direct electron acceptor for Cp34, possesses a redox-active CXXC active site, and mediates the transfer of electrons from Cp34 to several disulfide-containing substrates including 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), insulin, and Cp20. These three proteins are proposed to play a vital role in the defense of C. pasteurianum against oxidative damage and may help compensate for the putative lack of catalase activity in this organism.