Oxidative rearrangement of tryptophan to indole nitrile by a single diiron enzyme.

Nitriles are uncommon in nature and are typically constructed from oximes via the oxidative decarboxylation of amino acid substrates or from the derivatization of carboxylic acids. Here we report a third strategy of nitrile biosynthesis featuring the cyanobacterial nitrile synthase AetD. During the biosynthesis of the 'eagle-killing' neurotoxin, aetokthonotoxin, AetD converts the alanyl side chain of 5,7-dibromo-L-tryptophan to a nitrile. Employing a combination of structural, biochemical, and biophysical techniques, we characterized AetD as a non-heme diiron enzyme that belongs to the emerging Heme Oxygenase-like Diiron Oxidase and Oxygenase (HDO) superfamily. High-resolution crystal structures of AetD together with the identification of catalytically relevant products provide mechanistic insights into how AetD affords this unique transformation that we propose proceeds via an aziridine intermediate. Our work presents a new paradigm for nitrile biogenesis and portrays a substrate binding and metallocofactor assembly mechanism that may be shared among other HDO enzymes.

The Fe and Zn cofactor dilemma.

Fe and Zn ions are essential enzymatic cofactors across all domains of life. Fe is an electron donor/acceptor in redox enzymes, while Zn is typically a structural element or catalytic component in hydrolases. Interestingly, the presence of Zn in oxidoreductases and Fe in hydrolases challenge this apparent functional dichotomy. In hydrolases, Fe either substitutes for Zn or specifically catalyzes certain reactions. On the other hand, Zn can replace divalent Fe and substitute for more complex Fe assemblies, known as Fe-S clusters. Although many zinc-binding proteins interchangeably harbor Zn and Fe-S clusters, these cofactors are only sometimes functional proxies.

Vibrio cholerae V-cGAP3 Is an HD-GYP Phosphodiesterase with a Metal Tunable Substrate Selectivity.

Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are signaling molecules involved in the immune response and virulence factor production. CDN cellular levels are fine-tuned by metal-dependent phosphodiesterases (PDEs), among which HD-GYPs make up a subclass of the larger HD-domain protein superfamily. The human pathogen Vibrio cholerae (Vc) encodes nine HD-GYPs, one of which is V-cGAP3 (or VCA0931). V-cGAP3 acts on c-di-GMP and 3'3'c-GAMP, and this activity is related to bacterial infectivity. However, the extant chemical makeup of the V-cGAP3 cofactor and steady state parameters have not been established. Employing electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopy in tandem with elemental analyses and activity assays, we demonstrate that V-cGAP3 coordinates different dimetal cofactors with variable activities. MnII and FeII afford c-di-GMP hydrolysis with the highest observed rates, while c-GAMP hydrolysis is selectively dependent on Mn. V-cGAP3 has a single functional domain, and this simple architecture allows us to examine the roles of characteristic conserved residues in catalysis. Substitution of the adjacent to the active site GYP residue triad and the specifically conserved in HD-domain PDEs fifth histidine ligand (i.e., H371 in V-cGAP3) with alanines severely compromises CDN hydrolysis but only modestly affects cofactor incorporation. Our data are consistent with V-cGAP3 being the major regulator of 3'3'c-GAMP hydrolysis in Vc and delineate the importance of specific residues in tuning activity in HD-GYPs in general. We propose that HD-GYPs exhibit diversity in their metallocofactors and substrates, which may serve to increase their functional potential in regulatory pathways or allow for PDE activity upon adaptation of the parent organism to diverse environmental niches.

Domain Fusion of Two Oxygenases Affords Organophosphonate Degradation in Pathogenic Fungi.

Proteins of the HD-domain superfamily employ a conserved histidine-aspartate (HD) dyad to coordinate diverse metallocofactors. While most known HD-domain proteins are phosphohydrolases, new additions to this superfamily have emerged such as oxygenases and lyases, expanding their functional repertoire. To date, three HD-domain oxygenases have been identified, all of which employ a mixed-valent FeIIFeIII cofactor to activate their substrates and utilize molecular oxygen to afford cleavage of C-C or C-P bonds via a diferric superoxo intermediate. Phylogenetic analysis reveals an uncharacterized multidomain protein in the pathogenic soil fungus Fonsecaea multimorphosa, herein designated PhoF. PhoF consists of an N-terminal FeII/α-ketoglutarate-dependent domain resembling that of PhnY and a C-terminal HD-domain like that of PhnZ. PhnY and PhnZ are part of an organophosphonate degradation pathway in which PhnY hydroxylates 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid, and PhnZ cleaves the C-P bond of the hydroxylated product yielding phosphate and glycine. Employing electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopies in tandem with activity assays, we determined that PhoF carries out the O2-dependent degradation of two aminophosphonates, demonstrating an expanded catalytic efficiency with respect to the individual, but mechanistically coupled PhnY and PhnZ. Our results recognize PhoF as a new example of an HD-domain oxygenase and show that domain fusion of an organophosphonate degradation pathway may be a strategy for disease-causing fungi to acquire increased functional versatility, potentially important for their survival.

The HBx protein from hepatitis B virus coordinates a redox-active Fe-S cluster.

The viral protein HBx is the key regulatory factor of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the main etiology for HBV-associated liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Historically, HBx has defied biochemical and structural characterization, deterring efforts to understand its molecular mechanisms. Here we show that soluble HBx fused to solubility tags copurifies with either a [2Fe-2S] or a [4Fe-4S] cluster, a feature that is shared among five HBV genotypes. We show that the O2-stable [2Fe-2S] cluster form converts to an O2-sensitive [4Fe-4S] state when reacted with chemical reductants, a transformation that is best described by a reductive coupling mechanism reminiscent of Fe-S cluster scaffold proteins. In addition, the Fe-S cluster conversions are partially reversible in successive reduction-oxidation cycles, with cluster loss mainly occurring during (re)oxidation. The considerably negative reduction potential of the [4Fe-4S]2+/1+ couple (-520 mV) suggests that electron transfer may not be likely in the cell. Collectively, our findings identify HBx as an Fe-S protein with striking similarities to Fe-S scaffold proteins both in cluster type and reductive transformation. An Fe-S cluster in HBx offers new insights into its previously unknown molecular properties and sets the stage for deciphering the roles of HBx-associated iron (mis)regulation and reactive oxygen species in the context of liver tumorigenesis.

Metal Dependence and Functional Diversity of Type I Cas3 Nucleases.

Type I CRISPR-Cas systems provide prokaryotes with protection from parasitic genetic elements by cleaving foreign DNA. In addition, they impact bacterial physiology by regulating pathogenicity and virulence, making them key players in adaptability and evolution. The signature nuclease Cas3 is a phosphodiesterase belonging to the HD-domain metalloprotein superfamily. By directing specific metal incorporation, we map a promiscuous metal ion cofactor profile for Cas3 from Thermobifida fusca (Tf). Tf Cas3 affords significant ssDNA cleavage with four homo-dimetal centers (Fe2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+), while the diferrous form is the most active and likely biologically relevant in vivo. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy show that the diiron cofactor can access three redox forms, while the diferrous form can be readily obtained with mild reductants. We further employ EPR and Mössbauer on Fe-enriched proteins to establish that Cas3″ enzymes harbor a dinuclear cofactor, which was not previously confirmed. We demonstrate that the ancillary His ligand is critical for efficient ssDNA cleavage but not for diiron assembly or small molecule hydrolysis. We further explore the ability of Cas3 to hydrolyze cyclic mononucleotides and show that Tf Cas3 hydrolyzes 2'3'-cAMP with catalytic efficiency comparable to that of the conserved virulence factor A (CvfA), an HD-domain protein hydrolyzing 2'3'-cylic phosphodiester bonds at RNA 3'-termini. Because this CvfA activity is linked to virulence regulation, Cas3 may also utilize 2'3'-cAMP hydrolysis as a possible molecular route to control virulence.

Characterization of Fe-S Clusters in Proteins by MÓ§ssbauer Spectroscopy.

57Fe MÓ§ssbauer spectroscopy is unparalleled in the study of Fe-S cluster-containing proteins because of its unique ability to detect all forms of iron. Enrichment of biological samples with the 57Fe isotope and manipulation of experimental parameters such as temperature and magnetic field allow for elucidation of the number of Fe-S clusters present in a given protein, their nuclearity, oxidation state, geometry, and ligation environment, as well as any transient states relevant to enzyme chemistry. This chapter is arranged in five sections to help navigate an experimentalist to utilize 57Fe MÓ§ssbauer spectroscopy for delineating the role and structure of biological Fe-S clusters. The first section lays out the tools and technical considerations for the preparation of 57Fe-labeled samples. The choice of experimental parameters and their effects on the MÓ§ssbauer spectra are presented in the following two sections. The last two sections provide a theoretical and practical guide on spectral acquisition and analysis relevant to Fe-S centers.

HD-[HD-GYP] Phosphodiesterases: Activities and Evolutionary Diversification within the HD-GYP Family.

Cyclic dinucleotides are signaling molecules that modulate many processes, including immune response and virulence factor production. Their cellular levels in bacteria are fine-tuned by metal-dependent phosphodiesterases, namely, the EAL and HD-GYP proteins, with HD-GYPs belonging to the larger HD domain superfamily. In this study, we first focus on the catalytic properties and the range of metal ions and substrates of the HD-[HD-GYP] subfamily, consisting of two HD domains. We identified SO3491 as a homologue of VCA0681 and the second example of an HD-[HD-GYP]. Both proteins hydrolyze c-di-GMP and 3'3'c-GAMP and coordinate various metal ions, but only Fe and to a lesser extent Co support hydrolysis. The proteins are active only in the diferrous form and not in the one-electron more oxidized FeIIFeIII state. Although the C-terminal HD-GYP domain is essential for activity, the role of the N-terminal HD domain remains unknown. We show that the N-terminal site is important for protein stability, influences the individual apparent kcat and KM (but not kcat/KM), and cannot bind c-di-GMP, thus precluding its involvement in cyclic dinucleotide sensing. We proceeded to perform phylogenetic analyses to examine the distribution and functional relationships of the HD-[HD-GYP]s to the rest of the HD-GYPs. The phylogeny provides a correlation map that draws a link between the evolutionary and functional diversification of HD-GYPs, serving as a template for predicting the chemical nature of the metallocofactor, level of activity, and reaction outcome.

The HD-Domain Metalloprotein Superfamily: An Apparent Common Protein Scaffold with Diverse Chemistries.

The histidine-aspartate (HD)-domain protein superfamily contains metalloproteins that share common structural features but catalyze vastly different reactions ranging from oxygenation to hydrolysis. This chemical diversion is afforded by (i) their ability to coordinate most biologically relevant transition metals in mono-, di-, and trinuclear configurations, (ii) sequence insertions or the addition of supernumerary ligands to their active sites, (iii) auxiliary substrate specificity residues vicinal to the catalytic site, (iv) additional protein domains that allosterically regulate their activities or have catalytic and sensory roles, and (v) their ability to work with protein partners. More than 500 structures of HD-domain proteins are available to date that lay out unique structural features which may be indicative of function. In this respect, we describe the three known classes of HD-domain proteins (hydrolases, oxygenases, and lyases) and identify their apparent traits with the aim to portray differences in the molecular details responsible for their functional divergence and reconcile existing notions that will help assign functions to yet-to-be characterized proteins. The present review collects data that exemplify how nature tinkers with the HD-domain scaffold to afford different chemistries and provides insight into the factors that can selectively modulate catalysis.

Structures of Class Id Ribonucleotide Reductase Catalytic Subunits Reveal a Minimal Architecture for Deoxynucleotide Biosynthesis.

Class I ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) share a common mechanism of nucleotide reduction in a catalytic α subunit. All RNRs initiate catalysis with a thiyl radical, generated in class I enzymes by a metallocofactor in a separate ß subunit. Class Id RNRs use a simple mechanism of cofactor activation involving oxidation of a MnII2 cluster by free superoxide to yield a metal-based MnIIIMnIV oxidant. This simple cofactor assembly pathway suggests that class Id RNRs may be representative of the evolutionary precursors to more complex class Ia-c enzymes. X-ray crystal structures of two class Id α proteins from Flavobacterium johnsoniae ( Fj) and Actinobacillus ureae ( Au) reveal that this subunit is distinctly small. The enzyme completely lacks common N-terminal ATP-cone allosteric motifs that regulate overall activity, a process that normally occurs by dATP-induced formation of inhibitory quaternary structures to prevent productive ß subunit association. Class Id RNR activity is insensitive to dATP in the Fj and Au enzymes evaluated here, as expected. However, the class Id α protein from Fj adopts higher-order structures, detected crystallographically and in solution. The Au enzyme does not exhibit these quaternary forms. Our study reveals structural similarity between bacterial class Id and eukaryotic class Ia α subunits in conservation of an internal auxiliary domain. Our findings with the Fj enzyme illustrate that nucleotide-independent higher-order quaternary structures can form in simple RNRs with truncated or missing allosteric motifs.

A New Microbial Pathway for Organophosphonate Degradation Catalyzed by Two Previously Misannotated Non-Heme-Iron Oxygenases.

The assignment of biochemical functions to hypothetical proteins is challenged by functional diversification within many protein structural superfamilies. This diversification, which is particularly common for metalloenzymes, renders functional annotations that are founded solely on sequence and domain similarities unreliable and often erroneous. Definitive biochemical characterization to delineate functional subgroups within these superfamilies will aid in improving bioinformatic approaches for functional annotation. We describe here the structural and functional characterization of two non-heme-iron oxygenases, TmpA and TmpB, which are encoded by a genomically clustered pair of genes found in more than 350 species of bacteria. TmpA and TmpB are functional homologues of a pair of enzymes (PhnY and PhnZ) that degrade 2-aminoethylphosphonate but instead act on its naturally occurring, quaternary ammonium analogue, 2-(trimethylammonio)ethylphosphonate (TMAEP). TmpA, an iron(II)- and 2-(oxo)glutarate-dependent oxygenase misannotated as a γ-butyrobetaine (γbb) hydroxylase, shows no activity toward γbb but efficiently hydroxylates TMAEP. The product, ( R)-1-hydroxy-2-(trimethylammonio)ethylphosphonate [( R)-OH-TMAEP], then serves as the substrate for the second enzyme, TmpB. By contrast to its purported phosphohydrolytic activity, TmpB is an HD-domain oxygenase that uses a mixed-valent diiron cofactor to enact oxidative cleavage of the C-P bond of its substrate, yielding glycine betaine and phosphate. The high specificities of TmpA and TmpB for their N-trimethylated substrates suggest that they have evolved specifically to degrade TMAEP, which was not previously known to be subject to microbial catabolism. This study thus adds to the growing list of known pathways through which microbes break down organophosphonates to harvest phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen in nutrient-limited niches.

Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Characterization of the Mycofactocin Biosynthetic Protein, MftC, Provides Insight into Its Redox Flipping Mechanism.

Mycofactocin is a putative redox cofactor and is classified as a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP). Some RiPP natural products, including mycofactocin, rely on a radical S-adenosylmethionine (RS, SAM) protein to modify the precursor peptide. Mycofactocin maturase, MftC, is a unique RS protein that catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation and C-C bond formation on the precursor peptide MftA. However, the number, chemical nature, and catalytic roles for the MftC [Fe-S] clusters remain unknown. Here, we report that MftC binds a RS [4Fe-4S] cluster and two auxiliary [4Fe-4S] clusters that are required for MftA modification. Furthermore, electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of MftC suggest that SAM and MftA affect the environments of the RS and Aux I cluster, whereas the Aux II cluster is unaffected by the substrates. Lastly, reduction potential assignments of individual [4Fe-4S] clusters by protein film voltammetry show that their potentials are within 100 mV of each other.

Redox-dependent rearrangements of the NiFeS cluster of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase.

The C-cluster of the enzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) is a structurally distinctive Ni-Fe-S cluster employed to catalyze the reduction of CO2 to CO as part of the Wood-Ljungdahl carbon fixation pathway. Using X-ray crystallography, we have observed unprecedented conformational dynamics in the C-cluster of the CODH from Desulfovibrio vulgaris, providing the first view of an oxidized state of the cluster. Combined with supporting spectroscopic data, our structures reveal that this novel, oxidized cluster arrangement plays a role in avoiding irreversible oxidative degradation at the C-cluster. Furthermore, mutagenesis of a conserved cysteine residue that binds the C-cluster in the oxidized state but not in the reduced state suggests that the oxidized conformation could be important for proper cluster assembly, in particular Ni incorporation. Together, these results lay a foundation for future investigations of C-cluster activation and assembly, and contribute to an emerging paradigm of metallocluster plasticity.

Discovery and characterization of a prevalent human gut bacterial enzyme sufficient for the inactivation of a family of plant toxins.

Although the human gut microbiome plays a prominent role in xenobiotic transformation, most of the genes and enzymes responsible for this metabolism are unknown. Recently, we linked the two-gene 'cardiac glycoside reductase' (cgr) operon encoded by the gut Actinobacterium Eggerthella lenta to inactivation of the cardiac medication and plant natural product digoxin. Here, we compared the genomes of 25 E. lenta strains and close relatives, revealing an expanded 8-gene cgr-associated gene cluster present in all digoxin metabolizers and absent in non-metabolizers. Using heterologous expression and in vitro biochemical characterization, we discovered that a single flavin- and [4Fe-4S] cluster-dependent reductase, Cgr2, is sufficient for digoxin inactivation. Unexpectedly, Cgr2 displayed strict specificity for digoxin and other cardenolides. Quantification of cgr2 in gut microbiomes revealed that this gene is widespread and conserved in the human population. Together, these results demonstrate that human-associated gut bacteria maintain specialized enzymes that protect against ingested plant toxins.

Structural Basis for Superoxide Activation of Flavobacterium johnsoniae Class I Ribonucleotide Reductase and for Radical Initiation by Its Dimanganese Cofactor.

A ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from Flavobacterium johnsoniae ( Fj) differs fundamentally from known (subclass a-c) class I RNRs, warranting its assignment to a new subclass, Id. Its ß subunit shares with Ib counterparts the requirements for manganese(II) and superoxide (O2-) for activation, but it does not require the O2--supplying flavoprotein (NrdI) needed in Ib systems, instead scavenging the oxidant from solution. Although Fj ß has tyrosine at the appropriate sequence position (Tyr 104), this residue is not oxidized to a radical upon activation, as occurs in the Ia/b proteins. Rather, Fj ß directly deploys an oxidized dimanganese cofactor for radical initiation. In treatment with one-electron reductants, the cofactor can undergo cooperative three-electron reduction to the II/II state, in contrast to the quantitative univalent reduction to inactive "met" (III/III) forms seen with I(a-c) ßs. This tendency makes Fj ß unusually robust, as the II/II form can readily be reactivated. The structure of the protein rationalizes its distinctive traits. A distortion in a core helix of the ferritin-like architecture renders the active site unusually open, introduces a cavity near the cofactor, and positions a subclass-d-specific Lys residue to shepherd O2- to the Mn2II/II cluster. Relative to the positions of the radical tyrosines in the Ia/b proteins, the unreactive Tyr 104 of Fj ß is held away from the cofactor by a hydrogen bond with a subclass-d-specific Thr residue. Structural comparisons, considered with its uniquely simple mode of activation, suggest that the Id protein might most closely resemble the primordial RNR-ß.

The biosynthesis of methanobactin.

Metal homeostasis poses a major challenge to microbes, which must acquire scarce elements for core metabolic processes. Methanobactin, an extensively modified copper-chelating peptide, was one of the earliest natural products shown to enable microbial acquisition of a metal other than iron. We describe the core biosynthetic machinery responsible for the characteristic posttranslational modifications that grant methanobactin its specificity and affinity for copper. A heterodimer comprising MbnB, a DUF692 family iron enzyme, and MbnC, a protein from a previously unknown family, performs a dioxygen-dependent four-electron oxidation of the precursor peptide (MbnA) to install an oxazolone and an adjacent thioamide, the characteristic methanobactin bidentate copper ligands. MbnB and MbnC homologs are encoded together and separately in many bacterial genomes, suggesting functions beyond their roles in methanobactin biosynthesis.

NADH reduction of nitroaromatics as a probe for residual ferric form high-spin in a cytochrome P450.

The existence of a substrate-sensitive equilibrium between high spin (S=5/2) and low spin (S=1/2) ferric iron is a well-established phenomenon in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily, although its origins are still a subject of discussion. A series of mutations that strongly perturb the spin state equilibrium in the camphor hydroxylase CYP101A1 were recently described (Colthart et al., Sci. Rep. 6, 22035 (2016)). Wild type CYP101A1 as well as some CYP101A1 mutants are herein shown to be capable of catalyzing the reduction of nitroacetophenones by NADH to the corresponding anilino compounds (nitroreductase or NRase activity). The distinguishing characteristic between those mutants that catalyze the reduction and those that cannot appears to be the extent to which residual high spin form exists in the absence of the native substrate d-camphor, with those showing the largest spin state shifts upon camphor binding also exhibiting NRase activity. Optical and EPR spectroscopy was used to further examine these phenomena. These results suggest that reduction of nitroaromatics may provide a useful probe of residual high spin states in the CYP superfamily. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.

Organometallic Complex Formed by an Unconventional Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Enzyme.

Pyrococcus horikoshii Dph2 (PhDph2) is an unusual radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme involved in the first step of diphthamide biosynthesis. It catalyzes the reaction by cleaving SAM to generate a 3-amino-3-carboxypropyl (ACP) radical. To probe the reaction mechanism, we synthesized a SAM analogue (SAMCA), in which the ACP group of SAM is replaced with a 3-carboxyallyl group. SAMCA is cleaved by PhDph2, yielding a paramagnetic (S = 1/2) species, which is assigned to a complex formed between the reaction product, α-sulfinyl-3-butenoic acid, and the [4Fe-4S] cluster. Electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) measurements with (13)C and (2)H isotopically labeled SAMCA support a π-complex between the C═C double bond of α-sulfinyl-3-butenoic acid and the unique iron of the [4Fe-4S] cluster. This is the first example of a radical SAM-related [4Fe-4S](+) cluster forming an organometallic complex with an alkene, shedding additional light on the mechanism of PhDph2 and expanding our current notions for the reactivity of [4Fe-4S] clusters in radical SAM enzymes.

Characterization of Lipoyl Synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The prevalence of multiple and extensively drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is on the rise, necessitating the identification of new targets to combat an organism that has infected one-third of the world's population, according to the World Health Organization. The biosynthesis of the lipoyl cofactor is one possible target, given its critical importance in cellular metabolism and the apparent lack of functional salvage pathways in Mtb that are found in humans and many other organisms. The lipoyl cofactor is synthesized de novo in two committed steps, involving the LipB-catalyzed transfer of an octanoyl chain derived from fatty acid biosynthesis to a lipoyl carrier protein and the LipA-catalyzed insertion of sulfur atoms at C6 and C8 of the octanoyl chain. A number of in vitro studies of lipoyl synthases from Escherichia coli, Sulfolobus solfataricus, and Thermosynechococcus elongatus have been conducted, but the enzyme from Mtb has not been characterized. Herein, we show that LipA from Mtb contains two [4Fe-4S] clusters and converts an octanoyl peptide substrate to the corresponding lipoyl peptide product via the same C6-monothiolated intermediate as that observed in the E. coli LipA reaction. In addition, we show that LipA from Mtb forms a complex with the H protein of the glycine cleavage system and that the strength of association is dependent on the presence of S-adenosyl-l-methionine. We also show that LipA from Mtb can complement a lipA mutant of E. coli, demonstrating the commonalities of the two enzymes. Lastly, we show that the substrate for LipA, which normally acts on a post-translationally modified protein, can be reduced to carboxybenzyl-octanoyllysine.

Structure and Function of a Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Protein Engineered to Bind a [4Fe-4S] Cluster.

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling organelles composed of a selectively permeable protein shell and encapsulated enzymes. They are considered promising templates for the engineering of designed bionanoreactors for biotechnology. In particular, encapsulation of oxidoreductive reactions requiring electron transfer between the lumen of the BMC and the cytosol relies on the ability to conduct electrons across the shell. We determined the crystal structure of a component protein of a synthetic BMC shell, which informed the rational design of a [4Fe-4S] cluster-binding site in its pore. We also solved the structure of the [4Fe-4S] cluster-bound, engineered protein to 1.8 Å resolution, providing the first structure of a BMC shell protein containing a metal center. The [4Fe-4S] cluster was characterized by optical and EPR spectroscopies; it has a reduction potential of -370 mV vs the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) and is stable through redox cycling. This remarkable stability may be attributable to the hydrogen-bonding network provided by the main chain of the protein scaffold. The properties of the [4Fe-4S] cluster resemble those in low-potential bacterial ferredoxins, while its ligation to three cysteine residues is reminiscent of enzymes such as aconitase and radical S-adenosymethionine (SAM) enzymes. This engineered shell protein provides the foundation for conferring electron-transfer functionality to BMC shells.