Biological diversity of cytochrome P450 redox partner systems.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s or CYPs) catalyze an enormous variety of oxidative reactions in organisms from all major domains of life. Their monooxygenase activity relies on the reductive scission of molecular oxygen (O2) bound to P450 heme iron, and thus on the delivery of two electrons to the heme iron at discrete points in the catalytic cycle. Early studies suggested that P450 redox partner machinery fell into only two major classes: either the eukaryotic diflavin enzyme NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, or bacterial/mitochondrial NAD(P)H-ferredoxin reductase and ferredoxin partners. However, more recent studies, aided by genome sequence data, reveal a much more complex scenario. Several new types of P450 redox partner systems have now been characterized, including P450s naturally linked to their redox partners, or to a component protein of their P450 electron delivery system. Other P450s have evolved to bypass requirements for redox partners, and instead react directly with hydrogen peroxide or NAD(P)H to facilitate oxidative or reductive catalysis. Further P450s are fused to non-redox partner enzymes and can catalyse consecutive reactions in a common pathway. This chapter describes the biochemistry and the enormous natural diversity of P450 redox systems, including descriptions of novel P450s fused to non-redox partner proteins.

Characterization of Cupriavidus metallidurans CYP116B1--a thiocarbamate herbicide oxygenating P450-phthalate dioxygenase reductase fusion protein.

The novel cytochrome P450/redox partner fusion enzyme CYP116B1 from Cupriavidus metallidurans was expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli. Isolated CYP116B1 exhibited a characteristic Fe(II)CO complex with Soret maximum at 449 nm. EPR and resonance Raman analyses indicated low-spin, cysteinate-coordinated ferric haem iron at both 10 K and ambient temperature, respectively, for oxidized CYP116B1. The EPR of reduced CYP116B1 demonstrated stoichiometric binding of a 2Fe-2S cluster in the reductase domain. FMN binding in the reductase domain was confirmed by flavin fluorescence studies. Steady-state reduction of cytochrome c and ferricyanide were supported by both NADPH/NADH, with NADPH used more efficiently (K(m[NADPH]) = 0.9 ± 0.5 µM and K(m[NADH]) = 399.1 ± 52.1 µM). Stopped-flow studies of NAD(P)H-dependent electron transfer to the reductase confirmed the preference for NADPH. The reduction potential of the P450 haem iron was -301 ± 7 mV, with retention of haem thiolate ligation in the ferrous enzyme. Redox potentials for the 2Fe-2S and FMN cofactors were more positive than that of the haem iron. Multi-angle laser light scattering demonstrated CYP116B1 to be monomeric. Type I (substrate-like) binding of selected unsaturated fatty acids (myristoleic, palmitoleic and arachidonic acids) was shown, but these substrates were not oxidized by CYP116B1. However, CYP116B1 catalysed hydroxylation (on propyl chains) of the herbicides S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate (EPTC) and S-propyl dipropylthiocarbamate (vernolate), and the subsequent N-dealkylation of vernolate. CYP116B1 thus has similar thiocarbamate-oxidizing catalytic properties to Rhodoccocus erythropolis CYP116A1, a P450 involved in the oxidative degradation of EPTC.