The xylT gene product, a component of the xylene catabolic pathway of Pseudomonas putida mt2, has been recently characterized as a novel [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin which specifically reactivates oxygen-inactivated catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (XylE). In this study, three XylT-like proteins potentially involved in the catabolism of naphthalene (NahT) or cresols (PhhQ and DmpQ) have been overexpressed in Es...

Human ferredoxin-1 (hFd1) and human ferredoxin-2 (hFd2) share high sequence similarity but serve on distinct cellular pathways. A unique conformational change is observed when holo hFd2 is warmed to physiological temperatures, or higher. Enzymatic studies show that this conformational change causes the increase of affinity between hFd2 and adrenodoxin reductase. No such change was observed for ...

A ferredoxin containing only one [Fe4S4] cluster was purified from Clostridium thermoaceticum. It has a molecular weight of about 7,300, a partial specific volume of 0.67, and an isoelectric point of 3.25. Its absorption spectrum has two maxima at 390 nm (epsilon = 16.8 X 10(3)M-1cm-1) and at 280 nm (epsilon = 24.2 X 10(3)M-1cm-1). The absorption at 390 nm is almost half that of other clostridi...

Metronidazole and related 5-nitroimidazoles are the only available drugs in the treatment of human urogenital trichomoniasis caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. The drugs are activated to cytotoxic anion radicals by their reduction within the hydrogenosomes. It has been established that electrons required for metronidazole activation are released from pyruvate by the activit...

The purification, crystallization, and biological activity of flavodoxin is reported. It is a new electron transport protein and has been isolated from extracts of cells of Closfridium pasfeurianum grown on nitrogen gas or ammonia and in an iron-deficient medium. Flavodoxin forms yellow crystals from ammonium sulfate solution, has a molecular weight of 14,600, absorption maxima of the oxidized ...

Iron is a limiting nutrient in bacterial infection putting it at the centre of an evolutionary arms race between host and pathogen. Gram-negative bacteria utilize TonB-dependent outer membrane receptors to obtain iron during infection. These receptors acquire iron either in concert with soluble iron-scavenging siderophores or through direct interaction and extraction from host proteins. Charact...

Escherichia coli produces enzymes dedicated to hydrogen metabolism under anaerobic conditions. In particular, a formate hydrogenlyase (FHL) enzyme is responsible for the majority of hydrogen gas produced under fermentative conditions. FHL comprises a formate dehydrogenase (encoded by fdhF) linked directly to [NiFe]-hydrogenase-3 (Hyd-3), and formate is the only natural substrate known for proto...

Oxidative stress in plants causes ferredoxin down-regulation and NADP(+) shortage, over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport chain, electron leakage to oxygen and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Expression of cyanobacterial flavodoxin in tobacco chloroplasts compensates for ferredoxin decline and restores electron delivery to productive routes, resulting in enhanced s...

The site of action of the inhibitors disalicylidenepropanediamine and pyrophosphate was more closely defined as acting on ferredoxin. Three inhibitors which act on the electron transport path between ferredoxin and NADP: disalicylidenepropanediamine, pyrophosphate, and phosphoadenosinediphosphate ribose, had no effect on photosynthesis in cell free preparations of Dunaliela parva at concentrati...

Iron availability affects the growth of not only phytoplankton, but also sea ice diatoms. Iron availability had a clear effect on the growth rates of Fragilariopsis cylindrus and F. curta. Maximum growth rates were 0.57 d–1 for F. cylindrus and 0.28 d–1 for F. curta; Km (half-saturation growth constant) was 0.51 × 10–12 and 1.3 × 10–12 M for F. cylindrus and F. curta, respectively. For both F. ...