Treponema denticola superoxide reductase: in vivo role, in vitro reactivities, and a novel [Fe(Cys)(4)] site

Biochemistry. 2012 Jul 17;51(28):5601-10. doi: 10.1021/bi300667s. Epub 2012 Jun 29.

Abstract

In vitro and in vivo results are presented demonstrating that superoxide reductase (SOR) from the air-sensitive oral spirochete, Treponema denticola (Td), is a principal enzymatic scavenger of superoxide in this organism. This SOR contains the characteristic non-heme [Fe(His)(4)Cys] active sites. No other metal-binding domain has been annotated for Td SOR. However, we found that Td SOR also accommodates a [Fe(Cys)(4)] site whose spectroscopic and redox properties resemble those in so-called 2Fe-SORs. Spectroscopic comparisons of the wild type and engineered Cys → Ser variants indicate that three of the Cys ligands correspond to those in [Fe(Cys)(4)] sites of "canonical" 2Fe-SORs, whereas the fourth Cys ligand residue has no counterpart in canonical 2Fe-SORs or in any other known [Fe(Cys)(4)] protein. Structural modeling is consistent with iron ligation of the "noncanonical" Cys residue across subunit interfaces of the Td SOR homodimer. The Td SOR was isolated with only a small percentage of [Fe(Cys)(4)] sites. However, quantitative formation of stable [Fe(Cys)(4)] sites was readily achieved by exposing the as-isolated protein to an iron salt, a disulfide reducing agent and air. The disulfide/dithiol status and iron occupancy of the Td SOR [Fe(Cys)(4)] sites could, thus, reflect intracellular redox status, particularly during periods of oxidative stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Iron / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Treponema denticola / enzymology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Iron
  • Oxidoreductases
  • superoxide reductase
  • Cysteine