Flavodoxin: an allosteric inhibitor of AMP nucleosidase from Azotobacter vinelandii.

Flavodoxin, which participates in nitrogen fixation, was found to be a potent allosteric inhibitor of AMP nucleosidase [EC 3.2.2.4] from Azotobacter vinelandii. It inhibited the enzyme by decreasing its affinity for ATP without affecting the maximum velocity. The inhibition constant for flavodoxin was estimated to be 10 muM, which is within the range of physiological concentration in the cells. The concentration of flavodoxin able to alter the activity in vitro suggests that this phenomenon could be of significance in the regulation of flavin biosynthesis in vivo. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN), a prosthetic group of flavodoxin, was also found to act as an allosteric inhibitor. Since no inhibitory action of apo-flavodoxin was observed, it was concluded that the FMN chromophore of the flavodoxin is responsible for the inhibition of the enzyme by this protein.