title: Hydrogenase I of Clostridium pasteurianum functions as a novel selenite reductase.
abstract: Clostridium pasteurianum's hydrogenase I, an important constitutive metabolic enzyme, has been shown to function as a 'novel selenite reductase'. Selenite reductase activity was found to co-purify with hydrogenase I activity; the fold purification and specific activities for these two activities paralleled each other throughout the purification steps. The highly purified hydrogenase I apparent K(m) for the selenite substrate was 0.2 mM. The stoichiometry for the enzymatic reduction of SeO3(2-) to Se(0) via H2 oxidation, was determined to be 2.3:1 (H2:Se(0)), very close to the theoretical ratio of 2:1 for this reduction reaction. Known electron carriers required for hydrogenase I activity were also found to couple its selenite reductase activity, the most efficient one being ferredoxin. The purified hydrogenase I not only reduced selenite but also tellurite, and its selenite activity was completely inhibited by O2 and CuSO4, potent inhibitors of hydrogenase I activity.
authors.affiliation: Agriculture Canada Research Station, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1, Canada.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yanke
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Laishley