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Iron K-edge X-ray absorption data for the iron-molybdenum cofactor (‘FeMoco’) from Klebsiella pneumoniae reported here provide the first evidence for long-range structural order in the cofactor [Fe…Fe(Mo) = 0.368 nm in addition to Fe…S = 0.22 nm and Fe…Fe(Mo) = 0.27 nm] and, in contrast with previously published data [Antonio, Teo, Orme-Johnson, Nelson, Groh, Lindahl, Kauzlarich & Averill (1982) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 4703-4705], indicate that most of the iron centres are not co-ordinated to light (oxygen, nitrogen) atoms. This demonstrates that presently available chemical models for FeMoco are inadequate.

The zinc co-ordination in 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase (5-aminolaevulinate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.24) was investigated by recording and interpreting the extended X-ray-absorption fine structure (e.x.a.f.s.) associated with the zinc K-edge. The enzyme has a molecular mass of 280 000 Da and consists of eight subunits of 35 000 Da each; the samples studied contained approx. 1 g-atom of zinc/mol of subunit. Four forms of the enzyme were investigated and details of the zinc environment were elucidated, as follows. In the native enzyme, zinc is considered to be co-ordinated to three sulphur atoms at 0.228(2)nm [2.28(2)A] and a lower-Z atom at 0.192(5)nm [1.92(5)A] (if nitrogen) or 0.189(5)nm [1.89(5)A] (if oxygen). Reaction of the enzyme with the inhibitor 2-bromo-3-(imidazol-5-yl)propionic acid produced significant changes in the e.x.a.f.s., the nature of which are consistent with co-ordination by about three sulphur atoms at 0.222(2)nm [2.22(2)A], a nitrogen atom at 0.193(5)nm [1.93(5)A] and a nitrogen atom from the inhibitor at 0.214(5)nm [2.14(5)A]. Inactivation of the enzyme by air-oxidation of essential thiol groups and binding of the substrate produce slight changes in the e.x.a.f.s. consistent with slight re-arrangement of ligands with additional lighter ligands (nitrogen or oxygen). These results, when combined with previous findings, are taken to indicate that zinc has a structural rather than a direct catalytic role in 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase.

Copper K-edge e.x.a.f.s (extended X-ray-absorption fine structure) was measured for dopamine beta-mono-oxygenase in aqueous solution. Comparison with the Cu K-edge e.x.a.f.s. of bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase shows a close resemblance. Detailed analysis of the e.x.a.f.s. indicates that the copper atom is bound to four imidazole groups at 0.201 nm with one or two oxygen atoms at 0.23 nm.

Copper and zinc K-edge-extended X-ray-absorption fine structures were measured for the metal sites of freeze-dried bovine superoxide dismutase and the model compounds tetrakis(imidazole)cupric nitrate and tetrakis(imidazole)zinc perchlorate. Detailed simulation of the spectra indicates that the copper site of the enzyme is best fit by co-ordination of four imidazole groups with Cu-N(alpha) distances of 0.198 nm (1.98 A). The zinc site is best fit by three imidazole groups at 0.201 nm (2.01 A) and an oxygen (from aspartate) at 0.203 nm (2.03 A).

The six forms of the 17alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase purified from rabbit liver cytosol have very similar physical properties. The molecular weights of all the enzymes were within 3% of the average mol.wt of 39 600. Only one of the six enzymes showed a significant difference in amino acid composition. All but one form of the 17alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenases exhibited greater activities towards the androgen, epitestosterone, than towards oestrogen substrates. With oestrogen substrates one enzyme displayed a high specificity towards the substrate oestradiol-17alpha 3-glucuronide. This high activity was lost if the glucuronic acid moiety was removed or replaced by glucose or galacturonic acid. The other enzyme forms had approximately equal activity toward oestradiol-17alpha and its glucuronide or glucoside derivative. However, substitution of galacturonic acid at C-3 of oestradiol-17alpha substantially decreased the activity of all but one enzyme form.

Eight distinct forms of the soluble 17alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase of rabbit liver were resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and isoelectric focusing. Five of these enzymes were homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Substrate-specificity studies carried out with oestradiol-17alpha and oestradiol-17alpha 3-glucuronide revealed a variation in activity toward these substrates among the different purified enzyme forms. Three forms of the 17alpha-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase exhibited equal activity toward both oestrogen substrates, whereas three forms of the enzyme displayed a greater activity toward the glucuronide derivative of oestradiol-17alpha. One enzyme in particular is essentially specific for oestradiol-17alpha 3-glucuronide, its activity toward oestradiol-17alpha being only one-thirtieth that observed with the 3-glucuronide derivative.

Vanadium K-edge X-ray-absorption spectra were collected for samples of thionine-oxidized, super-reduced (during enzyme turnover) and dithionite-reduced VFe-protein of the vanadium nitrogenase of Azotobacter chroococcum (Acl*). Both the e.x.a.f.s and the x.a.n.e.s. (X-ray-absorption near-edge structure) are consistent with the vanadium being present as part of a VFeS cluster; the environment of the vanadium is not changed significantly in different oxidation states of the protein. The vanadium atom is bound to three oxygen (or nitrogen), three sulphur and three iron atoms at 0.215(3), 0.231(3) and 0.275(3) nm respectively.

Our previous extended-X-ray-absorption-fine-structure (e.x.a.f.s.) study has shown that the probable iron environment in chicken ovotransferrin involves two low-Z ligands (consistent with phenolate linkages) at 0.185(1) nm and four low-Z ligands at 0.204(1) nm [Garratt, Evans, Hasnain & Lindley (1986) Biochem. J. 233, 479-484]. Herein we provide additional information from the e.x.a.f.s. and near-edge structure suggestive of a decrease in the co-ordination number of ovotransferrin-bound iron upon freeze-drying. These effects are reversible, and exposure of the freeze-dried material to a humid atmosphere results in reversion to the solution spectra. Progressive rehydration was monitored by using e.p.r. spectroscopy and was confirmed by recording the high-resolution X-ray-absorption near-edge structure (x.a.n.e.s.). The results suggest the presence of a labile water molecule at the iron-binding sites of ovotransferrin in solution.

Zn-metallothionein 1 from rabbit liver was investigated by means of Zn K-edge extended X-ray-absorption fine structure (e.x.a.f.s.). Also, the Cu and Zn K-edge e.x.a.f.s. were measured for two samples of mixed Cu Zn-metallothionein 2, with Cu/Zn ratios of 5:2 and 6:3, from pig liver. Detailed simulation of the Cu sites shows a primary co-ordination with three sulphur atoms, presumably from cysteine residues at 0.225 nm +/- 0.001 nm (2.25 +/- 0.01 A). The data for the Zn sites are best reproduced by four Zn-S separations at 0.233 +/- 0.001 nm (2.33 +/- 0.01 A). The Zn K-edge e.x.a.f.s. recorded for rabbit metallothionein 1 at 77 K shows, in addition to the primary co-ordination shell, evidence for two Zn-Zn separations at approx. 0.50 nm (5.0 A). This latter result provides the first information concerning the internal arrangement of zinc atoms in Zn7-metallothionein.

Iron K-edge extended-X-ray-absorption-fine-structure (e.x.a.f.s.) spectra were recorded for diferric human and rabbit serum transferrins and for diferric chicken ovotransferrin in aqueous solution; for ovotransferrin e.x.a.f.s. spectra from the N-terminal and C-terminal domain fragments were also measured. The overall spectral profiles closely resemble one another, indicating similar iron-binding sites. The simulation of the diferric ovotransferrin spectrum suggests a first co-ordination shell consisting of six low-Z ligands (nitrogen/oxygen), two ligands at a distance of approx. 0.185 nm (1.85 A) and four ligands at approx. 0.204 nm (2.04 A). The two shorter distances may correspond to Fe-O (tyrosine), whereas the longer distance is consistent with Fe-N (histidine) and Fe-O (water). Detailed analysis of the spectra of the N-terminal and C-terminal fragments indicates a difference in the short ligand distance.

Preliminary results of an extended X-ray absorption fine structure (e.x.a.f.s.) and X-ray absorption near edge structure study of jack bean urease have recently been reported [Hasnain & Piggott (1983) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 112, 279]. These results indicate that the environment of the nickel ion in the enzyme is similar to that in the model compounds Ni(L)2(L')1(ClO4)1 (where L is 1-n-propyl-2-alpha-hydroxybenzylbenzimidazole and L' is the deprotonated form) and Ni(HMB)3(Br)2 (where HMB is 2-hydroxymethylbenzimidazole), the closest similarity being with Ni(L)2-(L')1(ClO4)1. A detailed e.x.a.f.s. analysis has now been carried out and the crystal structures of the two model compounds solved. These results are reported here.

Copper and zinc K-edge e.x.a.f.s. (extended X-ray-absorption fine structures) were measured for the metal sites of oxidized and reduced bovine superoxide dismutase in aqueous solution. Detailed analysis of the spectra indicates that the copper site of the enzyme changes on reduction and is most probably co-ordinated to three imidazole groups at a shorter distance Cu-N(alpha) = 0.194 nm (1.94 A) in the reduced form compared with a co-ordination of four imidazole groups at 0.199 nm (1.99 A) and an oxygen atom from solvent water at 0.224 nm (2.24 A) in the oxidized form. Examination of the edge, near-edge structure and e.x.a.f.s. of the zinc sites indicates that the stereochemical changes at copper that accompany reduction introduce minimal perturbation on the stereochemistry at zinc.

A new cysteine proteinase was isolated from the digestive juice of the American lobster (Homarus americanus). The enzyme was purified by a combination of affinity and ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The cysteine proteinase accounted for 80% of the proteolytic activity in the lumen of the hepatopancreas. The most potent heavy-metal inhibitors were Hg, Cu, and Ag ions. Inhibition by organic proteinase inhibitors, including E-64 [L-trans-epoxysuccinyl-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane] and activation of the enzyme by 2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol are characteristic of cysteine proteinases. Several similarities to papain are noted and include the N-terminal sequence, of which 22 of the first 28 amino acids are identical. Some notable differences are the higher Mr of 28,000 compared with 23,350 for papain, and the low isoelectric point (pI 4.5) of the lobster enzyme. The effects of pH and temperature on catalytic activity of the lobster proteinase were studied with benzyloxycarbonylalanine p-nitrophenyl ester as the substrate. The kcat./Km value was effectively temperature-independent between 10 and 60 degrees C. The pH-activity profile for the lobster enzyme revealed four apparent protonation states, of which only two are active.

X-ray absorption spectra have been recorded for the molybdenum K-edge region of xanthine oxidase. Both the absorption edge and the extended fine structure (e.x.a.f.s.) regions were investigated. Spectra were obtained for samples of the desulpho enzyme as well as for mixtures of this with the active enzyme. The spectrum of the pure active form was then obtained by difference. The desulpho enzyme shows a pronounced step in the absorption edge, of a type previously associated terminal oxygen ligands. In the active enzyme this step has decreased markedly. Satisfactory simulations of the e.x.a.f.s. spectrum of the desulpho enzyme could be obtained by assuming the molybdenum to be bonded to two terminal oxygen atoms (Mo = O about .175 nm), two sulphur atoms (presumably from cysteine residues, Mo-S about .0250 nm) and one sulphur atom (presumably from a methionine residue, Mo-S about 0.290 nm). E.x.a.f.s. of the active enzyme differed appreciably from this. In keeping with earlier proposals [Gutteridge, Tanner & Bray (1978) Biochem. J. 175, 887-897], the spectrum of the active enzyme could be simulated if a sulphur atom at about 0.225 nm (i.e. presumably a terminal sulphur atom) replaced one of the terminal oxygen atoms of the desulpho from, with small changes in the other bond distances. Validity of the interpretative procedures, which involved phase shift and amplitude calculations ab initio, was demonstrated by using low molecular weight compounds of known structure.