title: Activation of the anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase from Escherichia coli. The essential role of the iron-sulfur center for S-adenosylmethionine reduction.
abstract: The anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase of Escherichia coli catalyzes the synthesis of the deoxyribonucleotides required for anaerobic DNA synthesis. The enzyme is an alpha2beta2 heterotetramer. In its active form, the large alpha2 subunit contains an oxygen-sensitive glycyl radical, whereas the beta2 small protein harbors a [4Fe-4S] cluster that joins its two polypeptide chains. Formation of the glycyl radical in the inactive enzyme requires S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), dithiothreitol, K+, and either an enzymatic (reduced flavodoxin) or chemical (dithionite or 5-deazaflavin plus light) reducing system. Here, we demonstrate that AdoMet is directly reduced by the Fe-S center of beta2 during the activation of the enzyme, resulting in methionine and glycyl radical formation. Direct binding experiments showed that AdoMet binds to beta2 with a Kd of 10 microM and a 1:1 stoichiometry. Binding was confirmed by EPR spectroscopy that demonstrated the formation of a complex between AdoMet and the [4Fe-4S] center of beta2. Dithiothreitol triggered the cleavage of AdoMet, leading to an EPR-silent form of beta2 and, in the case of alpha2beta2, to glycyl radical formation. In both instances, 3 methionines were formed per mol of protein. Our results indicate that the Fe-S center of beta2 is directly involved in the reductive cleavage of AdoMet and suggest a new biological function for an iron-sulfur center, i.e redox catalysis, as recently proposed by others (Staples, R. C., Ameyibor, E., Fu, W., Gardet-Salvi, L., Stritt-Etter, A. L., Schürmann, P., Knaff, D. B., and Johnson, M. K. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 11425-11434).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etudes Dynamiques et Structurales de la Selectivité, Université Joseph Fourier, CNRS UMR 5616, Chimie-Recherche, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ollagnier
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mulliez
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eliasson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deronzier
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gräslund
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reichard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fontecave
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011485:Protein Binding; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases