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The Fe-type nitrile hydratase activator protein from Rhodococcus equi TG328-2 ( Re NHase TG328-2) was successfully expressed and purified. Sequence analysis and homology modeling suggest that it is a G3E P-loop guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) within the COG0523 subfamily. Kinetic studies revealed that the Fe-type activator protein is capable of hydrolyzing GTP to GDP with a k cat value of 1.2 × 10−3 s−1 and a K m value of 40 μM in the presence of 5 mM MgCl2 in 50 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid at a pH of 8.0. The addition of divalent metal ions, such as Co(II), which binds to the Re NHase TG328-2 activator protein with a K d of 2.9 μM, accelerated the rate of GTP hydrolysis, suggesting that GTP hydrolysis is potentially connected to the proposed metal chaperone function of the Re NHase TG328-2 activator protein. Circular dichroism data reveal a significant conformational change upon the addition of GTP, which may be linked to the interconnectivity of the cofactor binding sites, resulting in an activator protein that can be recognized and can bind to the NHase α-subunit. A combination of these data establishes, for the first time, that the Re NHase TG328-2 activator protein falls into the COG0523 subfamily of G3E P-loop GTPases, many of which play a role in metal homeostasis processes. * ATP, : adenosine triphosphate; CD, : circular dichroism; EDTA, : ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; GTP, : guanosine triphosphate; HEPES, : 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid; ICP-AES, : inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy; ITC, : isothermal titration calorimetry; MBP, : maltose-binding protein; NHase, : nitrile hydratase; NTP, : nucleoside triphosphate; PDB, : protein database; TCEP, : tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine; TEV, : tobacco etch virus; UTP, : uridine triphosphate.

In an effort to probe the structure and function of a predicted mitochondrial glyoxalase 2, GLX2-1, from Arabidopsis thaliana, GLX2-1 was cloned, overexpressed, purified and characterized using metal analyses, kinetics, and UV–visible, EPR, and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. The purified enzyme was purple and contained substoichiometric amounts of iron and zinc; however, metal-binding studies reveal that GLX2-1 can bind nearly two equivalents of either iron or zinc and that the most stable analogue of GLX2-1 is the iron-containing form. UV–visible spectra of the purified enzyme suggest the presence of Fe(II) in the protein, but the Fe(II) can be oxidized over time or by the addition of metal ions to the protein. EPR spectra revealed the presence of an anti-ferromagnetically-coupled Fe(III)Fe(II) centre and the presence of a protein-bound high-spin Fe(III) centre, perhaps as part of a FeZn centre. No paramagnetically shifted peaks were observed in 1H-NMR spectra of the GLX2-1 analogues, suggesting low amounts of the paramagnetic, anti-ferromagnetically coupled centre. Steady-state kinetic studies with several thiolester substrates indicate that GLX2-1 is not a GLX2. In contrast with all of the other GLX2 proteins characterized, GLX2-1 contains an arginine in place of one of the metal-binding histidine residues at position 246. In order to evaluate further whether Arg246 binds metal, the R246L mutant was prepared. The metal binding results are very similar to those of native GLX2-1, suggesting that a different amino acid is recruited as a metal-binding ligand. These results demonstrate that Arabidopsis GLX2-1 is a novel member of the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily.

The molybdenum centre of the periplasmic respiratory nitrate reductase from the denitrifying bacterium Thiosphaera pantotropha has been probed using molybdenum K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The optimum fit of the Mo(VI) EXAFS suggests two =O, three –S– and either a fourth –S– or an –O–/–N– as molybdenum ligands in the ferricyanide-oxidized enzyme. Three of the –S– ligands are proposed to be the two sulphur atoms of the molybdopterin dithiolene group and Cys-181. Comparison of the EXAFS of the ferricyanide-oxidized enzyme with that of a nitrate-treated sample containing 30% Mo(V) suggests that the Mo(VI) → Mo(V) reduction is accompanied by conversion of one =O to –O–. The best fit to the Mo(IV) EXAFS of dithionite-reduced enzyme was obtained using one =O, one –O– and four –S–/–Cl ligands. The periplasmic nitrate reductase molybdenum co-ordination environment in both the Mo(VI) and Mo(IV) oxidation states is distinct from that found in the membrane-bound respiratory nitrate reductase.