Superoxide dismutase from the thermophilic anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus was cloned, purified, and characterized. This protein is in the manganese- and iron-containing family of superoxide dismutases and is able to use both manganese and iron catalytically. This appears to be the only soluble superoxide dismutase in C. aurantiacus. Iron and manganese cofactors wer...

In vitro synthesis of Escherichia coli manganese-containing superoxide dismutase, directed by the plasmid pDT1-5, has been achieved. The Mn superoxide dismutase polypeptide was identified by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels, immunoprecipitation, and the competitive immunoprecipitation effect of pure, active E. coli Mn superoxide dismutase. Dithiothreitol and glutathione, but not cysteine,...

Superoxide dismutase has been studied in a wide range of organisms (Fridovich, 1975). Early observations suggested that superoxide dismutases isolated from eukaryotes (McCord & Fridovich, 1969; Misra & Fridovich, 1972; Beauchamp & Fridovich, 1973) showed little diversity in their properties, having mol.wts. near 32000 and containing two copper and two zinc atoms per molecule. The activity of th...

An iron-containing superoxide dismutase has been purified from the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis. It has a molecular weight of 85,000 and is composed of four subunits of equal size. The tetramer contains 2.5 g atoms of ferric iron. Visible absorption and electron spin resonance spectra closely resemble those of other iron-containing superoxide dismutases. The amino acid sequence of the iron ...

Diminished amounts of manganese-containing superoxide dismutase have been found in all the tumors examined to date. Lowered amounts of the copper-zinc-containing superoxide dismutase have been found in many, but not all, tumors. At the same time, tumors have been shown to produce superoxide radicals. It is shown how diminished enzyme activities along with radical production may lead to many of ...

Evidence has recently been presented that photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) is triggered by absorption of light by the oxygen-evolving manganese cluster. To get insight into the effects of light on enzymes containing manganese or other transition metal cofactors, the photosensitivities of Mn catalase, Mn superoxide dismutase, the haem (Fe)-containing bovine liver catalase, and CuZn super...