1.
J Am Chem Soc
; 127(37): 12804-5, 2005 Sep 21.
Artigo
em Inglês
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-16159266
RESUMO
X-ray crystallographic study of the nitrogenase MoFe protein revealed electron density from an atom (denoted X) inside the active-site metal cluster, the [MoFe7S9:homocitrate] FeMo-cofactor. The electron density associated with X is consistent with a single N, O, or C atom. We now have tested whether X is an N or not by comparing the Q-band ENDOR and ESEEM signals from resting-state (S = 3/2) MoFe protein and NMF-extracted FeMo-co from bacteria grown with either 14N or 15N as the exclusive N source. All of the 14N or 15N signals associated with the protein are lost upon extraction of the FeMo-co. We interpret this as strong evidence that X is not an N.