Enzymatic regulation of the radical content of the small subunit of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase involving reduction of its redox centers
- Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (Sweden)
The active form of protein B2, a homodimeric subunit of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase, contains a diferric iron center and a cationic free radical localized to tyrosine 122 of one of the two polypeptide chains. Hydroxyurea scavenges this radical but leaves the iron center intact. The resulting metB2 (earlier named B2/HU) is enzymatically inactive. Crude extracts of E. coli catalyze the interconversion of metB2 and B2. Radical introduction into metB2 requires a flavin reductase together with a second poorly defined protein fraction ( Fraction b ) as well as dioxygen, NAD(P)H, and a flavin. We now find that ferrous ions can substitute for Fraction b and that the diferric center of metB2 is reduced during anaerobic incubation of the system with reduced flavin and ferrous ions. Spectroscopic evidence and isotope experiments suggest an in situ reduction of the diferric to a diferrous center. Admission of oxygen then results in the instantaneous oxidation of tyrosine 122 to the cationic radical coupled to the reformation of the diferric center, giving enzymatically active B2. These data suggest that reduced diferrous B2 is an intermediate between metB2 and B2 during radical introduction. In addition, we find that anaerobic incubation of B2 with reduced flavin results in the loss of the tyrosyl radical and the formation of metB2. This reaction occurs in the absence of Fraction b or ferrous ions. Our experiments reconstitute with defined reagents the interconversion between metB2 and B2 observed earlier in the E. coli extract. The flavin reductase system catalyzes the interconversion in both directions with dioxygen as the critical factor deciding whether activation or inactivation of ribonucleotide reductase occurs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5564392
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Biological Chemistry; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Biological Chemistry; (USA) Vol. 264:16; ISSN JBCHA; ISSN 0021-9258
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMIDES
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATTLE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESCHERICHIA COLI
FRACTIONATION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
HYDROXYUREA
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON ISOTOPES
ISOALLOXAZINES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
KINETICS
MAMMALS
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
OXYGEN
PROTEINS
RADICALS
REACTION KINETICS
REAGENTS
REDOX REACTIONS
RUMINANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
SYNTHESIS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TYROSINE
VERTEBRATES