Type 1, blue copper proteins constitute a respiratory nitrite-reducing system in Pseudomonas aureofaciens |
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Authors: | W G Zumft D J Gotzmann P M Kroneck |
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Institution: | Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Universit?t Karlsruhe, Federal Republic of Germany. |
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Abstract: | Pseudomonas aureofaciens truncates the respiratory reduction of nitrate (denitrification) at the level of N2O. The nitrite reductase from this organism was purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity and found to be a blue copper protein. The enzyme contained 2 atoms of copper/85 kDa, both detectable by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The protein was dimeric, with subunits of identical size (40 +/- 3 kDa). Its pI was 6.05. The EPR spectrum showed an axial signal g at 2.21(8) and g at 2.04(5). The magnitude of the hyperfine splitting (A parallel = 6.36 mT) indicated the presence of type 1 copper only. The electronic spectrum had maxima at 280 nm, 474 nm and 595 nm (epsilon = 7.0 mM-1 cm-1), and a broad shoulder around 780 nm. A copper protein of low molecular mass (15 kDa), with properties similar to azurin, was also isolated from P. aureofaciens. The electronic spectrum of this protein showed a maximum at 624 nm in the visible range (epsilon = 2.5 mM-1 cm-1) and pronounced structures in the ultraviolet region. The EPR parameters were g parallel = 2.26(6) and g perpendicular = 2.05(6), with A parallel = 5.8 mT. The reduced azurin transferred electrons efficiently to nitrite reductase; the product of nitrite reduction was nitric oxide. The specific nitrite-reducing activity with ascorbate-reduced phenazine methosulfate as electron donor was 1 mumol substrate min-1 mg protein-1. The reaction product again was nitric oxide. Nitrous oxide was the reaction product from hydroxylamine and nitrite and from dithionite-reduced methyl viologen and nitrite. No 'oxidase' activity could be demonstrated for the enzyme. Our data disprove the presumed exclusiveness of cytochrome cd1 as nitrite reductase within the genus Pseudomonas. |
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