title: A sulfurtransferase is essential for activity of formate dehydrogenases in Escherichia coli.
abstract: l-Cysteine desulfurases provide sulfur to several metabolic pathways in the form of persulfides on specific cysteine residues of an acceptor protein for the eventual incorporation of sulfur into an end product. IscS is one of the three Escherichia coli l-cysteine desulfurases. It interacts with FdhD, a protein essential for the activity of formate dehydrogenases (FDHs), which are iron/molybdenum/selenium-containing enzymes. Here, we address the role played by this interaction in the activity of FDH-H (FdhF) in E. coli. The interaction of IscS with FdhD results in a sulfur transfer between IscS and FdhD in the form of persulfides. Substitution of the strictly conserved residue Cys-121 of FdhD impairs both sulfur transfer from IscS to FdhD and FdhF activity. Furthermore, inactive FdhF produced in the absence of FdhD contains both metal centers, albeit the molybdenum cofactor is at a reduced level. Finally, FdhF activity is sulfur-dependent, as it shows reversible sensitivity to cyanide treatment. Conclusively, FdhD is a sulfurtransferase between IscS and FdhF and is thereby essential to yield FDH activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UPR9043, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Rémi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomé
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gust
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toci
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mendel
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magalon
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walburger
mesh_terms: D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003067:Coenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D005560:Formate Dehydrogenases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012643:Selenium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003067:Coenzymes; D013455:Sulfur; D008982:Molybdenum; D007501:Iron; D005560:Formate Dehydrogenases; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C080546:cysteine desulfurase; D012643:Selenium