Crystal structures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptospira interrogans</Emphasis> FAD-containing ferredoxin-NADP<Superscript>+</Superscript> reductase and its complex with NADP<Superscript>+</Superscript>

Background  

Ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) are flavoenzymes that catalyze the electron transfer between NADP(H) and the proteins ferredoxin or flavodoxin. A number of structural features distinguish plant and bacterial FNRs, one of which is the mode of the cofactor FAD binding. Leptospira interrogans is a spirochaete parasitic bacterium capable of infecting humans and mammals in general. Leptospira interrogans FNR (LepFNR) displays low sequence identity with plant (34% with Zea mays) and bacterial (31% with Escherichia coli) FNRs. However, LepFNR contains all consensus sequences that define the plastidic class FNRs.     

Swapping FAD binding motifs between plastidic and bacterial ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases

Plant-type ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) are grouped in two classes, plastidic with an extended FAD conformation and high catalytic rates and bacterial with a folded flavin nucleotide and low turnover rates. The 112-123 β-hairpin from a plastidic FNR and the carboxy-terminal tryptophan of a bacterial FNR, suggested to be responsible for the FAD differential conformation, were mutually exchanged. The plastidic FNR lacking the β-hairpin was unable to fold properly. An extra tryptophan at the carboxy terminus, emulating the bacterial FNR, resulted in an enzyme with decreased affinity for FAD and reduced diaphorase and ferredoxin-dependent cytochrome c reductase activities. The insertion of the β-hairpin into the corresponding position of the bacterial FNR increased FAD affinity but did not affect its catalytic properties. The same insertion with simultaneous deletion of the carboxy-terminal tryptophan produced a bacterial chimera emulating the plastidic architecture with an increased k(cat) and an increased catalytic efficiency for the diaphorase activity and a decrease in the enzyme's ability to react with its substrates ferredoxin and flavodoxin. Crystallographic structures of the chimeras showed no significant changes in their overall structure, although alterations in the FAD conformations were observed. Plastidic and bacterial FNRs thus reveal differential effects of key structural elements. While the 112-123 β-hairpin modulates the catalytic efficiency of plastidic FNR, it seems not to affect the bacterial FNR behavior, which instead can be improved by the loss of the C-terminal tryptophan. This report highlights the role of the FAD moiety conformation and the structural determinants involved in stabilizing it, ultimately modulating the functional output of FNRs.     

Functional plasticity and catalytic efficiency in plant and bacterial ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases

Ferredoxin (flavodoxin)-NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) are ubiquitous flavoenzymes that deliver NADPH or low potential one-electron donors (ferredoxin, flavodoxin, adrenodoxin) to redox-based metabolisms in plastids, mitochondria and bacteria. Two great families of FAD-containing proteins displaying FNR activity have evolved from different and independent origins. The enzymes present in mitochondria and some bacterial genera are members of the structural superfamily of disulfide oxidoreductases whose prototype is glutathione reductase. A second group, comprising the FNRs from plastids and most eubacteria, constitutes a unique family, the plant-type FNRs, totally unrelated in sequence with the former. The two-domain structure of the plant family of FNR also provides the basic scaffold for an extended superfamily of electron transfer flavoproteins. In this article we compare FNR flavoenzymes from very different origins and describe how the natural history of these reductases shaped structure, flavin conformation and catalytic activity to face the very different metabolic demands they have to deal with in their hosts. We show that plant-type FNRs can be classified into a plastidic class, characterised by extended FAD conformation and high catalytic efficiency, and a bacterial class displaying a folded FAD molecule and low turnover rates. Sequence alignments supported this classification, providing a criterion to predict the structural and biochemical properties of newly identified members of the family.     

Reduction of the pea ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductase catalytic efficiency by the structuring of a carboxyl-terminal artificial metal binding site

Ferredoxin (flavodoxin)-NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) are ubiquitous flavoenzymes that deliver NADPH or low-potential one-electron donors (ferredoxin, flavodoxin, and adrenodoxin) to redox-based metabolisms in plastids, mitochondria, and bacteria. The FNRs from plants and most eubacteria constitute a unique family, the plant-type ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases. Plastidic FNRs are quite efficient at sustaining the demands of the photosynthetic process. At variance, FNRs from organisms with heterotrophic metabolisms or anoxygenic photosynthesis display turnover numbers that are 20-100-fold lower than those of their plastidic and cyanobacterial counterparts. To gain insight into the FNR structural features that modulate enzyme catalytic efficiency, we constructed a recombinant FNR in which the carboxyl-terminal amino acid (Tyr308) is followed by an artificial metal binding site of nine amino acids, including four histidine residues. This added structure binds Zn2+ or Co2+ and, as a consequence, significantly reduces the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme by decreasing its kcat. The Km for NADPH and the Kd for NADP+ were increased 2 and 3 times, respectively, by the addition of the amino acid extension in the absence of Zn2+. Nevertheless, the structuring of the metal binding site did not change the Km for NADPH or the Kd for NADP+ of the FNR-tail enzyme. Our results provide experimental evidence which indicates that mobility of the carboxyl-terminal backbone region of the FNR, mainly Tyr308, is essential for obtaining an FNR enzyme with high catalytic efficiency.     

Dynamics of the active site architecture in plant-type ferredoxin-NADP reductases catalytic complexes

Kinetic isotope effects in reactions involving hydride transfer and their temperature dependence are powerful tools to explore dynamics of enzyme catalytic sites. In plant-type ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductases the FAD cofactor exchanges a hydride with the NADP(H) coenzyme. Rates for these processes are considerably faster for the plastidic members (FNR) of the family than for those belonging to the bacterial class (FPR). Hydride transfer (HT) and deuteride transfer (DT) rates for the NADP⁺ coenzyme reduction of four plant-type FNRs (two representatives of the plastidic type FNRs and the other two from the bacterial class), and their temperature dependences are here examined applying a full tunnelling model with coupled environmental fluctuations. Parameters for the two plastidic FNRs confirm a tunnelling reaction with active dynamics contributions, but isotope effects on Arrhenius factors indicate a larger contribution for donor–acceptor distance (DAD) dynamics in the Pisum sativum FNR reaction than in the Anabaena FNR reaction. On the other hand, parameters for bacterial FPRs are consistent with passive environmental reorganisation movements dominating the HT coordinate and no contribution of DAD sampling or gating fluctuations. This indicates that active sites of FPRs are more organised and rigid than those of FNRs. These differences must be due to adaptation of the active sites and catalytic mechanisms to fulfil their particular metabolic roles, establishing a compromise between protein flexibility and functional optimisation. Analysis of site-directed mutants in plastidic enzymes additionally indicates the requirement of a minimal optimal architecture in the catalytic complex to provide a favourable gating contribution.     

A bacterial 2[4Fe4S] ferredoxin as redox partner of the plastidic-type ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase from Leptospira interrogans

BackgroundFerredoxins are small iron-sulfur proteins that participate as electron donors in various metabolic pathways. They are recognized substrates of ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductases (FNR) in redox metabolisms in mitochondria, plastids, and bacteria. We previously found a plastidic-type FNR in Leptospira interrogans (LepFNR), a parasitic bacterium of animals and humans. Nevertheless, we did not identify plant-type ferredoxins or flavodoxins, the common partners of this kind of FNR.MethodsSequence alignment, phylogenetical analyses and structural modeling were performed for the identification of a 2[4Fe4S] ferredoxin (LepFd2) as a putative redox partner of LepFNR in L. interrogans. The gene encoding LepFd2 was cloned and the protein overexpressed and purified. The functional properties of LepFd2 and LepFNR-LepFd2 complex were analyzed by kinetic and mutagenesis studies.ResultsWe succeeded in expressing and purifying LepFd2 with its FeS cluster properly bound. We found that LepFd2 exchanges electrons with LepFNR. Moreover, a unique structural subdomain of LepFNR (loop P75-Y91), was shown to be involved in the recognition and binding of LepFd2. This structural subdomain is not found in other FNR homologs.ConclusionsWe report for the first time a redox pair in L. interrogans in which a plastidic FNR exchanges electron with a bacterial 2[4Fe4S] ferredoxin. We characterized this reaction and proposed a model for the productive LepFNR-LepFd2 complex.General significanceOur findings suggest that the interaction of LepFNR with the iron-sulfur protein would be different from the one previously described for the homolog enzymes. This knowledge would be useful for the design of specific LepFNR inhibitors.     

Structural and functional diversity of ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductases

Although all ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductases (FNRs) catalyze the same reaction, i.e. the transfer of reducing equivalents between NADP(H) and ferredoxin, they belong to two unrelated families of proteins: the plant-type and the glutathione reductase-type of FNRs. Aim of this review is to provide a general classification scheme for these enzymes, to be used as a framework for the comparison of their properties. Furthermore, we report on some recent findings, which significantly increased the understanding of the structure-function relationships of FNRs, i.e. the ability of adrenodoxin reductase and its homologs to catalyze the oxidation of NADP⁺ to its 4-oxo derivative, and the properties of plant-type FNRs from non-photosynthetic organisms. Plant-type FNRs from bacteria and Apicomplexan parasites provide examples of novel ways of FAD- and NADP(H)-binding. The recent characterization of an FNR from Plasmodium falciparum brings these enzymes into the field of drug design.     

Modulation of the enzymatic efficiency of ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductase by the amino acid volume around the catalytic site

Ferredoxin (flavodoxin)-NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) are ubiquitous flavoenzymes that deliver NADPH or low-potential one-electron donors (ferredoxin, flavodoxin, adrenodoxin) to redox-based metabolic reactions in plastids, mitochondria and bacteria. Plastidic FNRs are quite efficient reductases. In contrast, FNRs from organisms possessing a heterotrophic metabolism or anoxygenic photosynthesis display turnover numbers 20- to 100-fold lower than those of their plastidic and cyanobacterial counterparts. Several structural features of these enzymes have yet to be explained. The residue Y308 in pea FNR is stacked nearly parallel to the re-face of the flavin and is highly conserved amongst members of the family. By computing the relative free energy for the lumiflavin-phenol pair at different angles with the relative position found for Y308 in pea FNR, it can be concluded that this amino acid is constrained against the isoalloxazine. This effect is probably caused by amino acids C266 and L268, which face the other side of this tyrosine. Simple and double FNR mutants of these amino acids were obtained and characterized. It was observed that a decrease or increase in the amino acid volume resulted in a decrease in the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme without altering the protein structure. Our results provide experimental evidence that the volume of these amino acids participates in the fine-tuning of the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme.     

Structural-functional characterization and physiological significance of ferredoxin-NADP reductase from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri is a phytopathogen bacterium that causes severe citrus canker disease. Similar to other phytopathogens, after infection by this bacterium, plants trigger a defense mechanism that produces reactive oxygen species. Ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductases (FNRs) are redox flavoenzymes that participate in several metabolic functions, including the response to reactive oxygen species. Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri has a gene (fpr) that encodes for a FNR (Xac-FNR) that belongs to the subclass I bacterial FNRs. The aim of this work was to search for the physiological role of this enzyme and to characterize its structural and functional properties. The functionality of Xac-FNR was tested by cross-complementation of a FNR knockout Escherichia coli strain, which exhibit high susceptibility to agents that produce an abnormal accumulation of ^•O₂ ^-. Xac-FNR was able to substitute for the FNR in E. coli in its antioxidant role. The expression of fpr in X. axonopodis pv. citri was assessed using semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. A 2.2-fold induction was observed in the presence of the superoxide-generating agents methyl viologen and 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone. Structural and functional studies showed that Xac-FNR displayed different functional features from other subclass I bacterial FNRs. Our analyses suggest that these differences may be due to the unusual carboxy-terminal region. We propose a further classification of subclass I bacterial FNRs, which is useful to determine the nature of their ferredoxin redox partners. Using sequence analysis, we identified a ferredoxin (XAC1762) as a potential substrate of Xac-FNR. The purified ferredoxin protein displayed the typical broad UV-visible spectrum of [4Fe-4S] clusters and was able to function as substrate of Xac-FNR in the cytochrome c reductase activity. Our results suggest that Xac-FNR is involved in the oxidative stress response of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and performs its biological function most likely through the interaction with ferredoxin XAC1762.     

Toxoplasma gondii: analysis of the active site insertion of its ferredoxin-NADP(+)-reductase by peptide-specific antibodies and homology-based modeling

Apicomplexan parasites possess an apicoplast-localized redox system consisting of a plant-type ferredoxin-NADP(+)-reductase (FNR) and its redox partner ferredoxin, a small [2Fe-2S] protein. We show here that several apicomplexan FNRs contain unique amino acid insertions of various lengths which are located in close proximity to the enzymatically important FAD and ferredoxin-binding sites of these proteins. Using the insertion of the Toxoplasma gondii reductase as an example we raised epitope-specific antibodies against an 11 amino acids long peptide predicted to be surface-exposed within this insertion. This peptide was found to be immunogenic when presented to the immune system as part of a carrier protein, but also in its natural structural context in the whole recombinant protein, implying that the epitope is surface-exposed. Three-dimensional modeling of T. gondii FNR based on the known 3D-structure of maize root FNR predicts that the overall structure of plant and apicomplexan FNRs are very similar and that the 11 amino acids are part of an alpha-helix, looping out of the molecule. Collectively, these data suggest that the insertion in T. gondii FNR does not affect the overall structure of the protein but may have an effect on the binding dynamics of FAD, NADP(+), and/or ferredoxin to FNR.     

X-ray crystallographic and solution state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigations of NADP+ binding to ferredoxin NADP reductase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The ferredoxin nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reductase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( pa-FPR) in complex with NADP (+) has been characterized by X-ray crystallography and in solution by NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the complex revealed that pa-FPR harbors a preformed NADP (+) binding pocket where the cofactor binds with minimal structural perturbation of the enzyme. These findings were complemented by obtaining sequential backbone resonance assignments of this 29518 kDa enzyme, which enabled the study of the pa-FPR-NADP complex by monitoring chemical shift perturbations induced by addition of NADP (+) or the inhibitor adenine dinucleotide phosphate (ADP) to pa-FPR. The results are consistent with a preformed NADP (+) binding site and also demonstrate that the pa-FPR-NADP complex is largely stabilized by interactions between the protein and the 2'-P AMP portion of the cofactor. Analysis of the crystal structure also shows a vast network of interactions between the two cofactors, FAD and NADP (+), and the characteristic AFVEK (258) C'-terminal extension that is typical of bacterial FPRs but is absent in their plastidic ferredoxin NADP (+) reductase (FNR) counterparts. The conformations of NADP (+) and FAD in pa-FPR place their respective nicotinamide and isoalloxazine rings 15 A apart and separated by residues in the C'-terminal extension. The network of interactions among NADP (+), FAD, and residues in the C'-terminal extension indicate that the gross conformational rearrangement that would be necessary to place the nicotinamide and isoalloxazine rings parallel and adjacent to one another for direct hydride transfer between NADPH and FAD in pa-FPR is highly unlikely. This conclusion is supported by observations made in the NMR spectra of pa-FPR and the pa-FPR-NADP complex, which strongly suggest that residues in the C'-terminal sequence do not undergo conformational exchange in the presence or absence of NADP (+). These findings are discussed in the context of a possible stepwise electron-proton-electron transfer of hydride in the oxidation of NADPH by FPR enzymes.     

N-Terminal Structure of Maize Ferredoxin:NADP+ Reductase Determines Recruitment into Different Thylakoid Membrane Complexes

To adapt to different light intensities, photosynthetic organisms manipulate the flow of electrons through several alternative pathways at the thylakoid membrane. The enzyme ferredoxin:NADP(+) reductase (FNR) has the potential to regulate this electron partitioning because it is integral to most of these electron cascades and can associate with several different membrane complexes. However, the factors controlling relative localization of FNR to different membrane complexes have not yet been established. Maize (Zea mays) contains three chloroplast FNR proteins with totally different membrane association, and we found that these proteins have variable distribution between cells conducting predominantly cyclic electron transport (bundle sheath) and linear electron transport (mesophyll). Here, the crystal structures of all three enzymes were solved, revealing major structural differences at the N-terminal domain and dimer interface. Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana of maize FNRs as chimeras and truncated proteins showed the N-terminal determines recruitment of FNR to different membrane complexes. In addition, the different maize FNR proteins localized to different thylakoid membrane complexes on expression in Arabidopsis, and analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence and photosystem I absorbance demonstrates the impact of FNR location on photosynthetic electron flow.     

Roles of the species-specific subdomain and the N-terminal peptide of Toxoplasma gondii ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase in ferredoxin binding

The plant-type ferredoxin/ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (Fd/FNR) redox system found in parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa has been proposed as a target for novel drugs used against life-threatening diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis. Like many proteins from these protists, apicomplexan FNRs are characterized by the presence of unique peptide insertions of variable length and yet unknown function. Since three-dimensional data are not available for any of the parasite FNRs, we used limited proteolysis to carry out an extensive study of the conformation of Toxoplasma gondii FNR. This led to identification of 11 peptide bonds susceptible to the action of four different proteases. Cleavage sites are clustered in four regions of the enzyme, which include two of its three species-specific insertions. Such regions are thus predicted to form flexible surface loops. The protein substrate Fd protected FNR against cleavage both at its N-terminal peptide and at its largest sequence insertion (28 residues). Deletion by protein engineering of the species-specific subdomain containing the latter insertion resulted in an enzyme form that, although catalytically active, displayed a 10-fold decreased affinity for Fd. In contrast, removal of the first 15 residues of the enzyme unexpectedly enhanced its interaction with Fd. Thus, two flexible polypeptide regions of T. gondii FNR are involved in Fd interaction but have opposite roles in modulating the binding affinity for the protein ligand. In this respect, T. gondii FNR differs from plant FNRs, where the N-terminal peptide contributes to the stabilization of their complex with Fd.     

Identification of the N- and C-terminal substrate binding segments of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase by NMR

Ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR) catalyzes the reduction of NADP(+) through the formation of an electron transfer complex with ferredoxin. To gain insight into the interaction of this enzyme with substrates at both ends of the polypeptide chain, we performed NMR analyses of a 314-residue maize leaf FNR with a nearly complete assignment of the backbone resonances. The chemical shift perturbation upon formation of the complex indicated that a flexible N-terminal region of FNR contributed to the interaction with maize ferredoxin, and an analysis of N-terminally truncated mutants of FNR confirmed the importance of this region for the binding of ferredoxin. Comparison between the spectra of FNR in the NADP(+)- and inhibitor-bound states also revealed that the nicotinamide moiety of NADP(+) was accessible to the C-terminal Tyr314. We propose that the formation of the catalytic competent complex of FNR and substrates is achieved through the interaction of the N- and C-terminal segments with ferredoxin and NADP(+), respectively. Since the ends of the polypeptide chain act as flexible regions of proteins, they may contribute to the search of a larger space for a binding partner and to the opening of active sites.     

A single tyrosine hydroxyl group almost entirely controls the NADPH specificity of Plasmodium falciparum ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase

Plasmodium falciparum ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR) is a FAD-containing enzyme that, in addition to be a promising target of novel antimalarial drugs, represents an excellent model of plant-type FNRs. The cofactor specificity of FNRs depends on differences in both k(cat) and K(m) values for NADPH and NADH. Here, we report that deletion of the hydroxyl group of the conserved Y258 of P. falciparum FNR, which interacts with the 2'-phosphate group of NADPH, selectively decreased the k(cat) of the NADPH-dependent reaction by a factor of 2 to match that of the NADH-dependent one. Rapid-reaction kinetics, active-site titrations with NADP(+), and anaerobic photoreduction experiments indicated that this effect may be the consequence of destabilization of the catalytically competent conformation of bound NADPH. Moreover, because the Y258F replacement increased the K(m) for NADPH 4-fold and decreased that for NADH 3-fold, it led to a drop in the ability of the enzyme to discriminate between the coenzymes from 70- to just 1.5-fold. The impact of the Y258F change was not affected by the presence of the H286Q mutation, which is known to enhance the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Our data highlight the major role played by the Y258 hydroxyl group in determining the coenzyme specificity of P. falciparum FNR. From the general standpoint of engineering the kinetic properties of plant-type FNRs, although P. falciparum FNR is less strictly NADPH-dependent than its homologues, the almost complete abolishment of coenzyme selectivity reported here has never been accomplished before through a single mutation.     

Ferredoxin—ferredoxin NADP reductase interaction: Catalytic differences between the soluble and thylakoid-bound complex

Ferredoxin-NADP reductase (FNR) and ferredoxin form a complex when the former is membrane-bound as they do when both components are in solution, with the same dissociation constant. The rate constant of NADP photoreduction, first order with respect to the complex, is more than 20-times higher when FNR is membrane-bound than when the enzyme is in solution. The Arrhenius activation energy is identical in both conditions. These observations are interpreted in terms of ‘entropic catalysis’ of NADP reduction by the thylakoid-bound FNR.     

Coenzyme binding and hydride transfer in Rhodobacter capsulatus ferredoxin/flavodoxin NADP(H) oxidoreductase

Ferredoxin-NADP(H) reductases catalyse the reversible hydride/electron exchange between NADP(H) and ferredoxin/flavodoxin, comprising a structurally defined family of flavoenzymes with two distinct subclasses. Those present in Gram-negative bacteria (FPRs) display turnover numbers of 1-5 s(-1) while the homologues of cyanobacteria and plants (FNRs) developed a 100-fold activity increase. We investigated nucleotide interactions and hydride transfer in Rhodobacter capsulatus FPR comparing them to those reported for FNRs. NADP(H) binding proceeds as in FNRs with stacking of the nicotinamide on the flavin, which resulted in formation of charge-transfer complexes prior to hydride exchange. The affinity of FPR for both NADP(H) and 2'-P-AMP was 100-fold lower than that of FNRs. The crystal structure of FPR in complex with 2'-P-AMP and NADP(+) allowed modelling of the adenosine ring system bound to the protein, whereas the nicotinamide portion was either not visible or protruding toward solvent in different obtained crystals. Stabilising contacts with the active site residues are different in the two reductase classes. We conclude that evolution to higher activities in FNRs was partially favoured by modification of NADP(H) binding in the initial complexes through changes in the active site residues involved in stabilisation of the adenosine portion of the nucleotide and in the mobile C-terminus of FPR.     

Electron transfer by ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase. Rapid-reaction evidence for participation of a ternary complex

Rapid reaction studies presented herein show that ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR, EC 1.18.1.2) catalyzes electron transfer from spinach ferredoxin (Fd) to NADP+ via a ternary complex, Fd X FNR X NADP+. In the absence of NADP+, reduction of ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase by Fd was much slower than the catalytic rate: 37-80 s-1 versus at least 445 e-s-1; dissociation of oxidized spinach ferredoxin (Fdox) from one-electron reduced ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase (FNRsq) limited the reduction of FNR. This confirms the steady-state kinetic analysis of Masaki et al. (Masaki, R., Yoshikaya, S., and Matsubara, H. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 700, 101-109). Occupation of the NADP+ binding site of FNR by NADP+ or by 2',5'-ADP (a nonreducible NADP+ analogue) greatly increased the rate of electron transfer from Fd to FNR, releiving inhibition by Fdox. NADP+ (and 2',5'-ADP) probably facilitate the dissociation of Fdox; equilibrium studies have shown that nucleotide binding decreases the association of Fd with FNR (Batie, C. J. (1983) Ph.D. dissertation, Duke University; Batie, C. J., and Kamin, H. (1982) in Flavins and Flavoproteins VII (Massey, V., and Williams, C. H., Jr., eds) pp. 679-683, Elsevier, New York; Batie, C.J., and Kamin, H. (1982) Fed. Proc. 41, 888; and Batie, C.J., and Kamin, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 8832-8839). Premixing Fd with FNR was found to inhibit the reaction of the flavoprotein with NADP+ and with NADPH; thus, substrate binding may be ordered, NADP+ first, then Fd. FNRred and NADP+ very rapidly formed an FNRred X NADP+ complex with flavin to nicotinamide charge transfer bands. The Fdred X NADP+ complex then relaxed to an equilibrium species; the spectrum indicated a predominance of FNRox X NADPH charge-transfer complex. However, charge-transfer species were not observed during turnover; thus, their participation in catalysis of electron transfer from Fd to NADP+ remains uncertain. The catalytic rate of Fd to NADP+ electron transfer, as well as the rates of electron transfer from Fd to FNR, and from FNR to NADP+ were decreased when the reactants were in D2O; diaphorase activity was unaffected by solvent. On the basis of the data presented, a scheme for the catalytic mechanism of catalysis by FNR is presented.     

Kinetic evidence for the PsaE-dependent transient ternary complex photosystem I/Ferredoxin/Ferredoxin:NADP(+) reductase in a cyanobacterium.

A mutant of Synechocystis PCC 6803, deficient in psaE, assembles photosystem I reaction centers without the PsaE subunit. Under conditions of acceptor-side rate-limited photoreduction assays in vitro (with 15 microM plastocyanin included), using 100 nM ferredoxin:NADP(+) reductase (FNR) and either Synechocystis flavodoxin or spinach ferredoxin, lower rates of NADP(+) photoreduction were measured when PsaE-deficient membranes were used, as compared to the wild type. This effect of the psaE mutation proved to be due to a decrease of the apparent affinity of the photoreduction assay system for the reductase. In the psaE mutant, the relative petH (encoding FNR) expression level was found to be significantly increased, providing a possible explanation for the lack of a phenotype (i.e., a decrease in growth rate) that was expected from the lower rate of linear electron transport in the mutant. A kinetic model was constructed in order to simulate the electron transfer from reduced plastocyanin to NADP(+), and test for possible causes for the observed change in affinity for FNR. The numerical simulations predict that the altered reduction kinetics of ferredoxin, determined for the psaE mutant [Barth, P., et al., (1998) Biochemistry 37, 16233-16241], do not significantly influence the rate of linear electron transport to NADP(+). Rather, a change in the dissociation constant of ferredoxin for FNR does affect the saturation profile for FNR. We therefore propose that the PsaE-dependent transient ternary complex PSI/ferredoxin/FNR is formed during linear electron transport. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, however, no direct interaction could be demonstrated in vivo between FNR and PsaE fusion proteins.