Structure of precursor-bound NifEN: a nitrogenase FeMo cofactor maturase/insertase

NifEN plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of the nitrogenase iron-molybdenum (FeMo) cofactor (M cluster). It is an α(2)β(2) tetramer that is homologous to the catalytic molybdenum-iron (MoFe) protein (NifDK) component of nitrogenase. NifEN serves as a scaffold for the conversion of an iron-only precursor to a matured form of the M cluster before delivering the latter to its target location within NifDK. Here, we present the structure of the precursor-bound NifEN of Azotobacter vinelandii at 2.6 angstrom resolution. From a structural comparison of NifEN with des-M-cluster NifDK and holo NifDK, we propose similar pathways of cluster insertion for the homologous NifEN and NifDK proteins.     

X-ray emission spectroscopy evidences a central carbon in the nitrogenase iron-molybdenum cofactor

Nitrogenase is a complex enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia. Despite insight from structural and biochemical studies, its structure and mechanism await full characterization. An iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMoco) is thought to be the site of dinitrogen reduction, but the identity of a central atom in this cofactor remains unknown. Fe Kβ x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) of intact nitrogenase MoFe protein, isolated FeMoco, and the FeMoco-deficient nifB protein indicates that among the candidate atoms oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon, it is carbon that best fits the XES data. The experimental XES is supported by computational efforts, which show that oxidation and spin states do not affect the assignment of the central atom to C(4-). Identification of the central atom will drive further studies on its role in catalysis.     

Extending the carbon chain: hydrocarbon formation catalyzed by vanadium/molybdenum nitrogenases

In a small-scale reaction, vanadium-dependent nitrogenase has previously been shown to catalyze reductive catenation of carbon monoxide (CO) to ethylene, ethane, propylene, and propane. Here, we report the identification of additional hydrocarbon products [α-butylene, n-butane, and methane (CH(4))] in a scaled-up reaction featuring 20 milligrams of vanadium-iron protein, the catalytic component of vanadium nitrogenase. Additionally, we show that the more common molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase can generate the same hydrocarbons from CO, although CH(4) was not detected. The identification of CO as a substrate for both molybdenum- and vanadium-nitrogenases strengthens the hypothesis that CO reduction is an evolutionary relic of the function of the nitrogenase family. Moreover, the comparison between the CO-reducing capacities of the two nitrogenases suggests that the identity of heterometal at the active cofactor site affects the efficiency and product distribution of this reaction.     

Nitrogenase MoFe-protein at 1.16 A resolution: a central ligand in the FeMo-cofactor

A high-resolution crystallographic analysis of the nitrogenase MoFe-protein reveals a previously unrecognized ligand coordinated to six iron atoms in the center of the catalytically essential FeMo-cofactor. The electron density for this ligand is masked in structures with resolutions lower than 1.55 angstroms, owing to Fourier series termination ripples from the surrounding iron and sulfur atoms in the cofactor. The central atom completes an approximate tetrahedral coordination for the six iron atoms, instead of the trigonal coordination proposed on the basis of lower resolution structures. The crystallographic refinement at 1.16 angstrom resolution is consistent with this newly detected component being a light element, most plausibly nitrogen. The presence of a nitrogen atom in the cofactor would have important implications for the mechanism of dinitrogen reduction by nitrogenase.     

Structure of the cytoplasmic beta subunit-T1 assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels

The structure of the cytoplasmic assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels was solved by x-ray crystallography at 2.1 angstrom resolution. The assembly includes the cytoplasmic (T1) domain of the integral membrane alpha subunit together with the oxidoreductase beta subunit in a fourfold symmetric T1(4)beta4 complex. An electrophysiological assay showed that this complex is oriented with four T1 domains facing the transmembrane pore and four beta subunits facing the cytoplasm. The transmembrane pore communicates with the cytoplasm through lateral, negatively charged openings above the T1(4)beta4 complex. The inactivation peptides of voltage-dependent K(+) channels reach their site of action by entering these openings.     

Evidence for interstitial carbon in nitrogenase FeMo cofactor

The identity of the interstitial light atom in the center of the FeMo cofactor of nitrogenase has been enigmatic since its discovery. Atomic-resolution x-ray diffraction data and an electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) analysis now provide direct evidence that the ligand is a carbon species.     

生物固氮基因簇结构与进化研究进展

在固氮菌基因组中,固氮相关基因都是作为一个或几个基因簇存在,是细菌生物固氮的遗传基础。这其中包括固氮酶结构基因nifHDK,以及参与电子转运和铁钼辅因子合成及组装的其他相关基因。对不同菌中固氮基因簇的结构和进化进行了简要的比较分析。比较所有已测序固氮菌中的固氮基因簇,发现均至少含有六个保守基因:nifH、nifD、nifK、nifE、nifN和nifB,并且这6个基因在所有已鉴定的系统中都是固氮所必需的。尽管在不同种类的固氮微生物中,固氮基因簇的构成及组织模式有所不同,但是它们在结构、催化机制和系统进化上紧密相关。同时也对固氮基因的研究方向提出了展望。旨在为今后进一步研究生物固氮机制,了解固氮微生物的进化,扩展生物固氮多样性提供理论基础。     

拟南芥HCF243蛋白参与叶绿体PSⅡ稳定调控机制的研究

核基因编码的调控因子在光系统Ⅱ（PSⅡ）的组装过程中起着关键的调控或辅助作用。已有研究证明,HCF243蛋白是一个重要的核基因编码的调控因子,推测它可能作为一个辅因子通过与D1蛋白的直接相互作用来维持后者在PSⅡ蛋白复合物中的稳定。为了探究HCF243蛋白在光抑制条件下在PSⅡ核心亚基尤其D1蛋白周转过程中的作用机制,首先利用TAIL-PCR的方法鉴定了hcf243突变体T-DNA的插入位点,并通过半定量RT-PCR对该基因（At3g15095）进行了表达模式分析,发现其表达量在叶中最高并随发育阶段逐渐上调,不同胁迫条件下的表达量也有变化。利用体内蛋白质同位素标记实验,发现hcf243突变体中D1蛋白组装到PSⅡ复合体中的速度明显低于野生型;进一步通过蛋白免疫印记分析证实,在光抑制条件下,相比野生型,hcf243突变体中PSⅡ复合物核心亚基D1降解速度显著加快,可能是造成PSⅡ复合体组装速率降低的原因。因此,通过上述实验推测HCF243蛋白作为一个辅因子,在PSⅡ反应中心D1蛋白的周转尤其降解过程中起着关键的调控作用。     

Spatial patterns from oscillating microtubules

Microtubules are fibers of the cytoskeleton involved in the generation of cell shape and motility. They can be highly dynamic and are capable of temporal oscillations in their state of assembly. Solutions of tubulin (the subunit protein of microtubules) and guanosine triphosphate (GTP, the cofactor required for microtubule assembly and oscillations) can generate various dissipative structures. They include traveling waves of microtubule assembly and disassembly as well as polygonal networks. The results imply that cytoskeletal proteins can form dynamic spatial structures by themselves, even in the absence of cellular organizing centers. Thus the microtubule system could serve as a simple model for studying pattern formation by biomolecules in vitro.     

带悬板排沙漏斗三维流场测试

本文首次利用激光多普勒测速仪（ＬＤＡ）测试了排沙漏斗的三维螺旋流流场，并对其时均流特性及紊动特性进行了分析。     

小麦、水稻、玉米、白菜、芹菜内生固氮菌及其系统发育

【目的】了解小麦、水稻、玉米、白菜、芹菜内生固氮菌的主要类群,确定内生固氮菌的系统发育地位。【方法】样品表面灭菌后采用无氮培养基分离、培养内生固氮菌,乙炔还原法测定菌株固氮酶活性;PCR扩增得到菌株16S rDNA,通过序列测定和相似性分析研究菌株的系统发育。【结果】从大田小麦体内分离到内生固氮菌34株,固氮酶活性在0.30-30.24 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,基于16S rDNA序列最大相似性,这些菌株分属于假单胞菌（Pseudomonas）、根瘤菌（Rhizobium）、芽孢杆菌（Bacillus）、黄杆菌（Flavobacterium）等13属21种,种群分布较为广泛;从大田水稻体内分离到内生固氮菌25株,固氮酶活性在3.12-254.12 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,属于芽孢杆菌、伯克霍尔德氏菌（Burkholderia）、肠杆菌（Enterobacter）、克雷伯氏菌（Klebsiella）等9属16种,伯克霍尔德氏菌、肠杆菌和克雷伯氏菌是水稻内生固氮菌特有种群;从大田玉米体内分离到内生固氮菌9株,固氮酶活性在7.27-59.58 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,属于根瘤菌、鞘氨醇单胞菌（Sphingomonas）等5属6种;从盆栽试验小白菜体内分离到内生固氮菌14株,固氮酶活性在2.33-205.21 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,属于根瘤菌、节杆菌（Arthrobacter）等6属8种;从市售芹菜体内分离到内生固氮菌10株,固氮酶活性在1.23-46.70 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,属于鞘氨醇单胞菌、假单胞菌等5属8种。【结论】在生长期小麦、水稻、玉米和部分蔬菜体内普遍存在内生固氮菌,菌株固氮酶活性差异较大,在0.30-254.12 nmol C2H4/h•mg蛋白,系统发育地位分属于假单胞菌、根瘤菌、芽孢杆菌等25个属的56个种,这些内生固氮菌对于农业生产有巨大潜能。     

Repair of the secretion defect in the Z form of alpha 1-antitrypsin by addition of a second mutation

Homozygous inheritance of the Z-type mutant form of the alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) gene results in the most common form of alpha 1AT deficiency, a human hereditary disease associated with a high risk for the development of emphysema and an increased incidence of neonatal hepatitis. The alpha 1AT-synthesizing cells of individuals with the Z gene have normal alpha 1AT messenger RNA levels, but alpha 1AT secretion is markedly reduced secondary to accumulation of newly synthesized alpha 1AT in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Crystallographic analysis of alpha 1AT predicts that in normal alpha 1AT, a negatively charged Glu342 is adjacent to positively charged Lys290. Thus the Glu342----Lys342 Z mutation caused the loss of a normal salt bridge, resulting in the intracellular aggregation of the Z molecule. The prediction was made that a second mutation in the alpha 1AT genet that changed the positively charged Lys290 to a negatively charged Glu290 would correct the secretion defect. When the second mutation was added to the Z-type complementary DNA, the resulting gene directed the synthesis and secretion of amounts of alpha 1AT similar to that directed by the normal alpha 1AT complementary DNA in an in vitro eukaryotic expression system. This suggests the possibility that a human hereditary disease can be corrected by inserting an additional mutation in the same gene.     

An architectural framework that may lie at the core of the postsynaptic density

The postsynaptic density (PSD) is a complex assembly of proteins associated with the postsynaptic membrane that organizes neurotransmitter receptors, signaling pathways, and regulatory elements within a cytoskeletal matrix. Here we show that the sterile alpha motif domain of rat Shank3/ProSAP2, a master scaffolding protein located deep within the PSD, can form large sheets composed of helical fibers stacked side by side. Zn2+, which is found in high concentrations in the PSD, binds tightly to Shank3 and may regulate assembly. Sheets of the Shank protein could form a platform for the construction of the PSD complex.     

Nitrogenase complexes: multiple docking sites for a nucleotide switch protein

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis in the nitrogenase complex controls the cycle of association and dissociation between the electron donor adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) (Fe-protein) and its target catalytic protein (MoFe-protein), driving the reduction of dinitrogen into ammonia. Crystal structures in different nucleotide states have been determined that identify conformational changes in the nitrogenase complex during ATP turnover. These structures reveal distinct and mutually exclusive interaction sites on the MoFe-protein surface that are selectively populated, depending on the Fe-protein nucleotide state. A consequence of these different docking geometries is that the distance between redox cofactors, a critical determinant of the intermolecular electron transfer rate, is coupled to the nucleotide state. More generally, stabilization of distinct docking geometries by different nucleotide states, as seen for nitrogenase, could enable nucleotide hydrolysis to drive the relative motion of protein partners in molecular motors and other systems.     

A Ni-Fe-Cu center in a bifunctional carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA synthase

A metallocofactor containing iron, sulfur, copper, and nickel has been discovered in the enzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenase/acetyl-CoA (coenzyme A) synthase from Moorella thermoacetica (f. Clostridium thermoaceticum). Our structure at 2.2 angstrom resolution reveals that the cofactor responsible for the assembly of acetyl-CoA contains a [Fe4S4] cubane bridged to a copper-nickel binuclear site. The presence of these three metals together in one cluster was unanticipated and suggests a newly discovered role for copper in biology. The different active sites of this bifunctional enzyme complex are connected via a channel, 138 angstroms long, that provides a conduit for carbon monoxide generated at the C-cluster on one subunit to be incorporated into acetyl-CoA at the A-cluster on the other subunit.     

有关序列特异性DNA结合蛋白的一些最新研究进展

本文对有关序列特异性DNA结合蛋白的最新研究情况作了叙述。在其结构研究中 ,介绍了同源结构域的拓扑学结构 ,同源结构域上的氨基酸基序 ,共价和非共价二聚结构域。在其作用研究中 ,介绍了非放射标记的凝胶阻滞分析法 ,C/EBP调节启动子活性的机制 ,雌激素受体在前转录起始复合物形成中的作用以及一种新的人SPI激活转录必需的共激活因子———CRSP复合物。在编码基因与其DNA序列上的结合位点研究中 ,介绍了荧光原位杂交技术进行染色体定位 ,C/EBP家族在小鼠的乳腺泌乳期和回复期的表达 ,HNF— 1结合位点对SI基因启动子上葡萄糖阻遏作用的操纵 ,看家基因人S6核糖体蛋白基因的转录调节元件的功能     

固氮酶的结构和催化机制及在农业生产实践中影响其活性的因素

介绍了固氮酶的结构和催化机制,并综述了近几年在农业生产中对固氮酶活性有影响的几个因素的研究进展。这些因素包括固氮菌的品种、作物的品种、土壤类型、氮肥的类型、耕作方式和氮肥的施用时期。     

Atomic structure of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase: prototype for a structurally novel flavoenzyme family

The three-dimensional structure of spinach ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (NADP+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) has been determined by x-ray diffraction at 2.6 angstroms (A) resolution and initially refined to an R factor of 0.226 at 2.2 A resolution. The model includes the flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) prosthetic group and the protein chain from residue 19 through the carboxyl terminus at residue 314 and is composed of two domains. The FAD binding domain (residues 19 to 161) has an antiparallel beta barrel core and a single alpha helix for binding the pyrophosphate of FAD. The NADP binding domain (residues 162 to 314) has a central five-strand parallel beta sheet and six surrounding helices. Binding of the competitive inhibitor 2'-phospho-AMP (AMP, adenosine monophosphate) places the NADP binding site at the carboxyl-terminal edge of the sheet in a manner similar to the nucleotide binding of the dehydrogenase family. The structures reveal the key residues that function in cofactor binding and the catalytic center. With these key residues as a guide, conclusive evidence is presented that the ferredoxin reductase structure is a prototype for the nicotinamide dinucleotide and FAD binding domains of the enzymes NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, NADPH-sulfite reductase, NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase, and NADH-nitrate reductase. Thus this structure provides a structural framework for the NADH- or NADPH-dependent flavoenzyme parts of five distinct enzymes involved in photosynthesis, in the assimilation of inorganic nitrogen and sulfur, in fatty-acid oxidation, in the reduction of methemoglobin, and in the metabolism of many pesticides, drugs, and carcinogens.     

玉米-大豆带状套作对大豆根瘤性状和固氮能力的影响

【目的】研究玉米-大豆带状套作系统中大豆生物量积累、根瘤特性、固氮酶活性和植株酰脲含量与固氮能力间的关系,明晰套作根系固氮能力的变化规律,为筛选适宜玉米-大豆带状套作的大豆品种提供理论依据。【方法】以强结瘤大豆NTS1007及其亲本BRAGG和本地耐荫大豆南豆12三个结瘤特性不同的大豆品种（系）为试验材料,在大田试验条件下,采用传统挖掘法挖根考察根瘤生长特性,并对玉豆带状套作下的大豆地上部与地下部生物量积累、根瘤固氮酶活性和植株酰脲含量进行测定和分析。【结果】与单作相比,玉豆带状套作下大豆植株生物量显著下降,地下部（33.15%）较地上部（20.84%）下降更为明显,根瘤生物量受地上部和地下部的共同调控（R2=0.613、0.916）;大豆根瘤数目、单株瘤重和酰脲含量均显著下降,根瘤数目与地下部生物量呈显著正相关（R2=0.813）;单位重量和单株固氮酶活性均显著下降,在达到峰值后下降速度均小于单作;单株固氮酶活性增长速率最快的时间滞后于单作。不同结瘤特性大豆对玉豆带状套作的响应不同,玉豆带状套作下NTS1007单株根瘤数目最多,但与单作相比其降幅最大（52.42%）,BRAGG地下部和地上部生物量、根瘤重量下降幅度最大（37.73%、31.28%、43.25%）,南豆12的根瘤数目、地上部和地下部生物量、根冠比的降幅均为最小（40.12%、10.17%、19.83%、10.41%）;玉豆带状套作下NTS1007的单株固氮酶活性和单位重量酰脲含量降幅最大（64.41%、21.72%）,BRAGG的单位重量固氮酶活性降幅最大（24.16%）,南豆12的单位重量和单株固氮酶活性、单株酰脲含量均表现为最高,且降幅最小（10.01%、45.81%、17.88%）。【结论】玉豆带状套作显著降低了大豆地上部、地下部生物量和根冠比,减少了单株根瘤数目,降低了单位重量根瘤和单株固氮酶活性,抑制了大豆固氮能力的发挥。但生殖生长后期固氮能力下降速度低于单作,这有利于套作大豆籽粒蛋白质的积累。不同结瘤特性大豆对套作的响应不同,强结瘤大豆NTS1007的地上部干物质积累和地下根瘤形成对套作环境反应敏感,南豆12则对玉豆带状套作表现出了良好的适应性。     

Crystal structure of a divalent metal ion transporter CorA at 2.9 angstrom resolution

CorA family members are ubiquitously distributed transporters of divalent metal cations and are considered to be the primary Mg2+ transporter of Bacteria and Archaea. We have determined a 2.9 angstrom resolution structure of CorA from Thermotoga maritima that reveals a pentameric cone-shaped protein. Two potential regulatory metal binding sites are found in the N-terminal domain that bind both Mg2+ and Co2+. The structure of CorA supports an efflux system involving dehydration and rehydration of divalent metal ions potentially mediated by a ring of conserved aspartate residues at the cytoplasmic entrance and a carbonyl funnel at the periplasmic side of the pore.