Molecular biology and biochemical characterization of the CO dehydrogenase-linked ferredoxin from Methanosarcina thermophila strain TM-1

Abstract

The CO dehydrogenase~linked ferredoxin from acetate-grown <i>Methanosarcina thermophiIa</i> was characterized to determine the structure and biochemical properties of the iron-sulfur clusters. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses indicated that the ferredoxin contained two [4Fe-4S] clusters per monomer of 6,790 Da, although a [3Fe-4S] species was also detected in the oxidized protein. The midpoint potentials of the [4Fe-4S] and [3Fe~4S] clusters at pH 7 were -407 m V and + 103 m V, respectively. Evidence from biochemical and spectroscopic studies indicated that the [3Fe-4S] species may have been formed from [4Fe-4S] clusters when ferredoxin was oxidized.

The gene encoding the CO dehydrogenase-linked ferredoxin (<i>fdxA</i>) in <i>Ms. thermophila</i> had the coding capacity for a 6,230-Da protein which contained eight cysteines with spacings typical of 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxins. A second open reading frame (ORF1) was also identified which had the potential to encode a 2[4Fe-4S] bacterial-like ferredoxin (5,850 Da). The deduced proteins from <i>fdxA</i> and ORF1 were 62% identical. <i>fdxA</i> and ORFI were present as single copies in the genome and each was transcribed on a monocistronic mRNA. Both <i>fdxA</i> and ORF1 were transcribed in cells grown on methanol and trimethylamine, but only the <i>fdxA</i> -specific transcript was detected in acetate-grown cells. The apparent transcriptional start sites of <i>fdxA</i> and ORFI were downstream of sequences which had high identity with the consensus methanogen promoter.

The heterodisulfide of two cofactors unique to the methanogenic microorganisms, HS-HTP and HS-CoM, was enzymatically reduced in cell extracts of <i>Ms. thermophila</i> using electrons from the oxidation of either H₂ or CO. The homodisulfides of either HS-HTP or HS-CoM were not reduced under the same conditions. The results indicated that methane is formed by reductive demethylation of CH₃-S-CoM using HS-HTP as a reductant in <i>Ms. thermophila</i>. Coupling of CO oxidation with reduction of the heterodisulfide suggested that the CO dehydrogenase-linked ferredoxin may be involved, although the details of electron flow are not known.