Direct Observation of an Iron-Bound Terminal Hydride in [FeFe]-Hydrogenase by Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy.

[FeFe]-hydrogenases catalyze the reversible reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen with extremely high efficiency. The active site ("H-cluster") consists of a [4Fe-4S]H cluster linked through a bridging cysteine to a [2Fe]H subsite coordinated by CN- and CO ligands featuring a dithiol-amine moiety that serves as proton shuttle between the protein proton channel and the catalytic distal iron site (Fed). Although there is broad consensus that an iron-bound terminal hydride species must occur in the catalytic mechanism, such a species has never been directly observed experimentally. Here, we present FTIR and nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) experiments in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) calculations on an [FeFe]-hydrogenase variant lacking the amine proton shuttle which is stabilizing a putative hydride state. The NRVS spectra unequivocally show the bending modes of the terminal Fe-H species fully consistent with widely accepted models of the catalytic cycle.

Artificially maturated [FeFe] hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: a HYSCORE and ENDOR study of a non-natural H-cluster.

Hydrogenases are enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of H2 as well as the reduction of protons to form H2. The active site of [FeFe] hydrogenase is referred to as the "H-cluster" and consists of a "classical" [4Fe-4S] cluster connected via a bridging cysteine thiol group to a unique [2Fe]H sub-cluster, containing CN(-) and CO ligands as well as a bidentate azadithiolate ligand. It has been recently shown that the biomimetic [Fe2(adt)(CO)4(CN)2](2-) (adt(2-) = azadithiolate) complex resembling the diiron sub-cluster can be inserted in vitro into the apo-protein of [FeFe] hydrogenase, which contains only the [4Fe-4S] part of the H-cluster, resulting in a fully active enzyme. This synthetic tool allows convenient incorporation of a variety of diiron mimics, thus generating hydrogenases with artificial active sites. [FeFe] hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii maturated with the biomimetic complex [Fe2(pdt)(CO)4(CN)2](2-) (pdt(2-) = propanedithiolate), in which the bridging adt(2-) ligand is replaced by pdt(2-), can be stabilized in a state strongly resembling the active oxidized (Hox) state of the native protein. This state is EPR active and the signal originates from the mixed valence Fe(I)Fe(II) state of the diiron sub-cluster. Taking advantage of the variant with (15)N and (13)C isotope labeled CN(-) ligands we performed HYSCORE and ENDOR studies on this hybrid protein. The (13)C hyperfine couplings originating from both CN(-) ligands were determined and assigned. Only the (15)N coupling from the CN(-) ligand bound to the terminal iron was observed. Detailed orientation selective ENDOR and HYSCORE experiments at multiple field positions enabled the extraction of accurate data for the relative orientations of the nitrogen and carbon hyperfine tensors. These data are consistent with the crystal structure assuming a g-tensor orientation following the local symmetry of the binuclear sub-cluster.

Metal selectivity of the Escherichia coli nickel metallochaperone, SlyD.

SlyD is a Ni(II)-binding protein that contributes to nickel homeostasis in Escherichia coli. The C-terminal domain of SlyD contains a rich variety of metal-binding amino acids, suggesting broader metal binding capabilities, and previous work demonstrated that the protein can coordinate several types of first-row transition metals. However, the binding of SlyD to metals other than Ni(II) has not been previously characterized. To improve our understanding of the in vitro metal-binding activity of SlyD and how it correlates with the in vivo function of this protein, the interactions between SlyD and the series of biologically relevant transition metals [Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(I), and Zn(II)] were examined by using a combination of optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Binding of SlyD to Mn(II) or Fe(II) ions was not detected, but the protein coordinates multiple ions of Co(II), Zn(II), and Cu(I) with appreciable affinity (K(D) values in or below the nanomolar range), highlighting the promiscuous nature of this protein. The order of affinities of SlyD for the metals examined is as follows: Mn(II) and Fe(II) < Co(II) < Ni(II) ~ Zn(II) ≪ Cu(I). Although the purified protein is unable to overcome the large thermodynamic preference for Cu(I) and exclude Zn(II) chelation in the presence of Ni(II), in vivo studies reveal a Ni(II)-specific function for the protein. Furthermore, these latter experiments support a specific role for SlyD as a [NiFe]-hydrogenase enzyme maturation factor. The implications of the divergence between the metal selectivity of SlyD in vitro and the specific activity in vivo are discussed.